The Red Stallion
by MLPPP217
Summary: The Red Stallion is the pony of the people. The figure who destroyed the tyrants of Equestria and established the United Republic of Soviet Ponies where all ponies are equal, happy and of course free. However The Red Stallion is not happy with the weight of what he has done to secure safety for his nation weighing heavily on his shoulders. Will he ever find happiness?
1. The Red Stallion

**The Red Stallion**

"I congratulate you great leader on your 500th Birthday and may I add that you still retain such great complexion that it doesn't look like you are a day over twenty" Shining Star bellowed after raising a glass in my name followed by everypony else that toasted my health, my looks, my successes and the Union's health.

I was fairly bored with my birthday feast of course and hating every minute of it. I didn't have to be here and in the past I wouldn't have been. Instead I'd be doing something relevant or that my younger self wanted to do but not now. Now I was stuck in the endless cycle of torment that I had landed myself in for winning the revolution.

I supposed I deserved it for what I'd done to be here but when I looked out of my window I knew it was for the best. Before I had formed the United Republic of Soviet Ponies and taken up the mantle of Supreme Commander of all Soviet Ponies then Equestria (as it was once known) would have starved. It's people were dying in the streets before the revolution and it's prosperity was depleted by a greedy, selfish and evil monarchy that vied only to maintain power and wealth even at the cost of their own people's lives.

I was young back then and filled with an anger in me that had no problem in being unleashed. Using my natural talents as a leader and with magic I took town after town, setting up supporters and giving aid to the people where ever I could. Ponies listened to me and understood I meant to do something about their tyrants and what started as a revolt led to full blown revolution with backing from the army and intellectuals.

Originally I wanted to make the Royals suffer any way I could by destroying tax caches, crashing museums with art dedicated to them and killing patrols of their guards whilst rallying local militia to my cause with the promise of payback for the way our families suffered and a promise of a better tomorrow.

However it got bigger and bigger until a small band of ponies became and army and suddenly I needed to deal with crime and dissent in the ranks, supplies and weapons to fight with and finally to maintain order and direction to ensure that everypony knew what they were doing.

After defeating the Royal Army at the battle of Stalliongrad my army marched south to the gates of Canterlot where the Royal Garrison fought in a bloody ten hour battle with every weapon and magical skill they possessed until they collapsed in defeat, exhausted whilst stallions charged through the castle doors with the passion of revolution and me at the head with the red flag of all ponies.

We'd captured or killed all the loyal guard ponies to the crown and the monarchy and immediately placed them under arrest. I regret still how I handled the situation that day and if I could change it then I would readily so as I had the Monarchy and their retainers executed publicly and that still haunted my dreams to this day.

I watched from atop the balcony as they stood the monarchs there lavish hair and their hybrids of wings and horns out into the courtyard against the firing wall. I saw their faces as they died, even the children and then I watched the castle administrators, the scribes, the retainers, the field commanders and finally the kitchen staffs meet a grisly end on the wrong end of the barrel of a red guard's gun.

I would not have ordered all their deaths now but alas back then was different and it was good that I had such energy as the nation needed it. I appointed immediately the reformation of our nation into the U.R.S.P, abolishing the local government and placing soviet councils in every village, town and city and then placing the leaders who had backed me to command by my side as generals and ministers.

I planned to hand my commanding ability over to my friend Lemming but the voice of the people still needed to be used as I shot down every rebellion or disgruntled voice over the next six months as I reformed the governmental structure and army into a better and more efficient fighting force than we had been as rebels so that transferring the reigns to Lemming would be more easy.

I knew the Zebrician States and Griffon Republic would pounce if they knew that Equestria was weak and in turmoil so I did everything I had to in order to stop more imperialists or fascists from grabbing hold of the wheel of opportunity and turning it in their favour and began to build up Industry.

I knew that we had no food and little industry and no means to create some safely in a timely fashion so at the cost of thousands I developed the industry of the people's new country and created weapons and machinery that would be used to increase farming and bolster defence along our newly formed borders of our nation. Hundreds of thousands died but we were not invaded and when the tractor came along food went up by two hundred percent and ponies began to see the benefit of Industry.

I was high on the victory's I had experienced during the war and now that I had the controls of a nation that viewed me as a hero I believed that I was invincible. Thankfully I wasn't a total fool and didn't declare war on anypony yet and built inside upon the things that our nation believed in. Perhaps life would have turned out different but unfortunately my dear friend Lemming died suddenly and I was at a loss of what to do with the country.

Taking what little administration I knew I promised equality to all and security to all and that everypony and that the world would one day follow our new ideology of Ponyism. I was like some kind of God and in my heart knew that I was the sole leader of power and not the people but then I was drunk on it as power is easy to misuse.

I killed possible adversaries, arrested others and focused on all our military strength until we were well ready for another war and generally began to control every aspect of life, even culture so that our beliefs were strengthened and bourgeoisie art was not even tolerated.

I fell into dark days then and didn't need a throne and a golden crown to be feared by all that worked for and around me. No the new crowns were Uniform and the way ponies viewed you was your throne and it worked like a charm and nopony stood in my way and any that did didn't for long.

Until my right hand pony, Trotsky my comrade in arms who had stood with me whilst the city of Canterlot burned tried to kill me in my sleep. I remember it with chills running down my back to this day as that was when the Nightmares started.

After that I knew that the only way I could protect my new country was to rule over it as supreme leader for the rest of my life, which with the power of magic and the ingenuity of science I extended beyond times end whilst telling myself "It is for the people."

After that I had turned twenty-one and went into an over-overdrive, becoming paranoid and placing guards everywhere, stepping up arrests and forming my own intelligence network from the ruins of the old Royal Bureau of Investigation. I had my food tested for poison each meal and began to keep a pistol strapped to my side at all times.

I noticed how other countries undermined mine and took steps against this and for my foolishness this would lead to a terrible war that was still going to this day. I didn't want this anymore. This was not what I had originally viewed for the ponies of Equestria. Instead my younger self had gotten carried away with the war that had ended in less than six months and had taken it to other countries that didn't deserve it... well maybe the Griffons.

"Great leader I am sorry, have I offended you?" Shining Star asked in a worried tone, knowing that his life may be on the line as I was in a bad mood as I had been given bad news about the front lines that I of course was always receiving and this put me in a very sour mood indeed and made me violent towards others at times. It had been many months since I'd actually received good news about the war against the damned fascist bird brains so I was always a little on edge when dealing with my fellow comrades.

I shook off my deep thinking lapse and answered "No Commander Shining Star everything is superb" I replied sarcastically "However I beg of all of you now. I am not of the right mind to celebrate my Birthday today. Please all of you leave me and continue these celebrations elsewhere without me."

Everypony didn't take a second hint and shot up from their chairs immediately. Losing slouched positions, spilling wine and leaving meals half eaten they all practically galloped for the door. "Glory to all ponies" they muttered quickly as they passed by my chair at the head of the table and out of the large main doors.

I sat still and stared above the fireplace at the huge portrait of me staring madly at anypony who looked at it. My many medals and decorations were strapped to my chest when in reality I had only earned but a few of them. After the war I had declined being the field commander for my own wars and directed the campaigns on a grander scale, allowing other generals and admirals to do the dirty work.

I looked away from the painting and poured my wine onto the marble floors, watching the dark colour move over the tiles until a large puddle had formed and my cup was empty. I looked back at my portrait that seemed to watch me with disapproval in its eyes.

I'd have liked to believe that I had really retained my youthful looks but I was getting older. No wrinkles graced my skin but I could not stop the inching growth that had me way taller than the average pony now. Neither could I stop how tired I was looking at every war meeting, every speech and every soviet city chair election every year.

"Well I know what you'd say if you were here" I said to my younger self in the portrait. "You are a disgrace to the Soviet ponies! All we have worked for and now you would let it all fall down to capitalists around you because you grow weary of ruling" I mocked, mimicking my violent speeches from my younger years.

"Well we did it comrade! We brought peace to the land. Gave ourselves freedom and took away everypony else's. I believe in equality and working for the state and look at the benefits that has brought for our people. Now we have no unemployment, we have food, security and above all else pride" I said with a slight smile gracing my lips.

"But look at this so called equal land for what it really is. I am the supreme leader of this nation, not the people. These ponies see me as a war hero leading the way and never question why I am always in power as all the ponies left to question are dead or in jail but nopony even thinks about the dead we all climbed to get us here" I swallowed.

"We have committed out people to a taxing war that saps our pride, our security and food whilst moving a few feet a day towards a victory I don't want and neither would the people if they knew the truth!" I shouted angrily at the painting that simply stared back at me with unforgiving eyes.

"I wanted to avenge them! To avenge her! You got power hungry and decided to take more than we had, with what we had being in the balance and now look at us! We're here in the castle of our long dead enemies making sure we do not make the same mistake as they did by keeping the people ignorant and content. Not happy, oh no that would be too easy! Just content so that they don't complain and rebel and then cut our heads off, which is what we really deserve."

Finished with my complaints against myself I threw my glass goblet at my grand portrait where it smashed and made the portrait fall crooked to the left side slightly. "I need the comfort of my bed" I thought as I began to feel one of my routine headaches developing.

I trotted glumly out of the main banquet hall where two of my guards saluted me, their rifles raised by magic. Although Earth Ponies could use firearms if rearing or leaning against something they didn't really have the ability in the field and ability was what most of my soldiers needed so they were surprisingly somewhat restricted military wise despite there being so many of them.

I passed by more guards as I walked the marbled walls. Stained Windows once stood in the window panes but I'd smashed them out personally with my own magic and had normal windows installed and red banners now flew from them as they did everywhere.

I paid no heed to my ever loyal, bordering on fanatic guardsmen and kept walking until I stumbled across one of my many assistants talking to a regular guard that stood watch by my bedroom door. I'd moved my bedroom to the ground floor many years ago for fear that the upstairs was too easy to infiltrate by air.

They hadn't seen me yet and seemed to be talking freely on some matter relating to me. Curious, I listened in and heard "He is a great leader and a true inspiration to the people" that made me smile before the two burst into laughter, the guards coming in deep bellows and my assistant's in light chuckles as they mocked me.

"You know he didn't let Mikhail leave to see his daughter's birth. He missed the whole thing and this hasn't been the first time. Remember Green Frame? My assistant turned and nodded somewhat sadly to my guard and replied "Fired for brushing against the great leader. Lucky too actually cause at first Red Stallion actually believed that Green Frame was trying to kill him!"

I grunted in anger. "That brush was at least a light knock at most" I thought and moved to step in. They would both get time in the cells for this mocking speech on my judgement. I stepped up making sure my hooves fell heavy so that they heard me and turned yell at them.

I didn't see guilt nor sorrow that they had offended their dear leader. All I saw was fear in their eyes, even in my own guard. "Do they really fear me so?" I thought as my eyes softened and I changed my tact. "Both of you have the night off. Go and tell comrade Green Frame he has his old job back and make sure that I am not to be disturbed."

They looked at me in almost awe but their eyes showed a kind of gratefulness that would have usually gone with a pardon before execution than a night off. "Yes Great Leader, thank you great leader" they both stuttered saluting and hurried off, probably afraid I'd change my mind.

I looked onwards until they disappeared behind a corner in the hallway and looked down in sadness. "I did it all for the country. It might have helped me along the way but I love the people and will always do what is best for them" I thought as I stepped into my room.

It was luxurious and three times bigger than my house in the village just outside of Stalliongrad all those centuries ago. I sighed. "The point of getting up in the mornings has been getting less and less" I thought. I didn't ever sleep in though as I didn't really like sleeping as they always came in my dreams, turning them to nightmares with their faces night after night judging me and my actions.

I supposed it was what I deserved but they didn't ever let up. Almost like a curse had been put on me. I looked over to the brandy by my bedside and with my magic I pulled the stopper and prepared to take a drink right out of the decanter when I stopped and stared around the room.

I liked to drink, it helped me sleep but I was not a social drinker and drank more to make my problems go away. Just thinking about it made me depressed so I decided to not to drink myself to death tonight and opt for tomorrow instead.

I looked around my room at my pure white satin bed sheets and the red banners aligned precisely along my windows. The room looked very grandeur but it was all very sickening and shiny. Instead I poured the brandy like I had my wine across the floor and sighed, dropping the decanter where it clattered and partially broke.

I couldn't bring myself to climb into my bed, instead opting to lead against the wall. It wasn't a good idea as I almost slipped on the brandy and before I fell I reached out towards a wall candle holder that didn't support my wait and seemed to break, hanging off the wall.

However I was surprised when the world began turning and I realized I was moving on the floor and into another room. It was dark so I lit my horn up and realized that this was definitely a secret passage.

However before I could think about what to think about all this, the room began to shake and crash around me and a large rock landed right next to my hind leg. "Damn" was all I thought as I tried to make the secret passage entrance turn again but it seemed like I had really broken it and it wouldn't let me get back.

I panicked as the rocks began to increase and it felt that this passageway I was in would collapse. At the last second I opted instead to run deeper into the tunnels to avoid becoming The Red Smear. It was actually a smart choice as seconds later a landslide of rocks chased me into the passageways of the old castle I'd thought had all been found and sealed off.

Thankfully after half a minute the tunnels integrity held and the cascade of rocks stopped. I wiped my forehead of sweat, exhilarated if not a little angry that I was now in this situation. I at last had sense not to blast into the rock since it would likely cause a bigger tunnel collapse.

I considered moving the rocks but some would be too heavy to move. All in all I was trapped in here unless somepony raised the alarm fairly quickly. "Then again I'd sent my guard away and it was late at night, nopony would have heard that or had they then they'd assume I was destroying something in a drunken rage.

As the situation seemed typically dire I decided that this might be a good distraction from being ruler at least and opted to find my own way out of these tunnels that looked really old, dirty and definitely not structurally sound. So without moaning or questioning as of why I hadn't been told about the secret passage behind my room I set out, trying to avoid the cobwebs, my horn lighting the way.

"What is this madness?" I exclaimed as I passed through the seemingly endless number of tunnels littered with cobwebs and the centuries of undusted, unloved halls of this secret and mysterious part of the castle.

"I order them to check every part of the castle for secret passages and they don't even check my own bedroom!?" I thought, making a mental note inside to have the castle checked over top to bottom when I found my way out of here.

"In fact I'll build my own palace, one of grandeur that will show the true might of the nation" I decided there and then. At least I wouldn't have to deal with this in the future. The fact of this passageway not being found was troubling however as there was always rumors since the revolution that some of the Royals survived. I decided to press on and not give a thought to what this might mean and have my spies investigate this later.

The tunnels went on for miles, always dull and badly needing a dusting. In some places the tunnels had slightly collapsed, their wooden pillars having fallen from the weight of the upper levels of the castle. "I am definitely moving my Capital to a better city, one more like Stalliongrad" I thought as I ducked under the collapsed beam and pressed on.

I had seen a lot in my time as leader and revolutionary but I was beginning to worry when after maybe an hour I hadn't found my way out of the castle tunnels yet. "How is it that nopony has never found this?" I kept wondering when suddenly something strange happened and I wasn't sure at first what it was.

I felt a mild buzz and my coat seemed to bristle and stand slightly on end and tingle and I looked around to see what was causing this. For a minute nothing happened and I believed that I must be imagining something until a light began to emerge from the depths of the tunnels, glowing ominously.

"What in the name of the revolution?" I muttered under my breath and bellowed "Stop where you are!" to the pony or whatever creature was coming towards me with the light.

It came closer and I began to wonder if it was really anypony at all, considering how it floated it could only be some form of magic but then who'd cast it? Then again it could also be some kind of ancient enchantment though casting anything beyond a levitation spell was complicated unless you studied in the ways of magic and thanks to my regulations very few studied any of that except for my guards.

In about another thirty seconds a ball of bright blue light passed overhead, tingling with an almost electrical effect and causing my coat to stand on end and become spikey. "Perhaps this is a way out?" I thought to myself and after brushing myself down I strode behind the ball of light to see where it led me to.

"This definitely warrants a full investigation by the P.C.I.B." I thought dully as I followed behind the ball of light. Nopony had probably reported me missing yet though not hearing the large tunnel collapse would have been strange and surely somepony would investigate.

Then again I remembered that I did not permit anypony to enter my room unless they had made an appointment three days ago and only if I'd approved it. I rarely did so nopony ever even bothered. Thinking about this actually made me question why I even bothered to come up with half of these pointless rules.

I followed the blue, magical orb for what seemed like hours but in reality was only ten minutes until I reached what seemed like a large amphitheater with many different odd elements around it that to me just looked bizarre.

I saw coats that resembled the ones scientists wore centuries ago, glass bottles, test tube and other scientific instruments all strewn along a table and covered in a thick layer of dust and cobwebs. On the walls were bookshelves with books turned moldy and crumbling and barely held together, in fact this whole place was black and crumbling apart from the center of the amphitheater where this pristine, shiny and good as new mirror stood, shimmering in the light every so often.

The Blue sphere began to head back, abandoning me and returning along it's planned out route and soon the room turned dark and I had to light up my horn again, bathing the room in a red magic that made everything look a lot more eerie and mysterious though at least enabled me to see where I was going.

Now my worried mind had been replaced by my curious one and I began to investigate the bizarre layout of the room and why there was a mirror in it. Firstly I knew that there was no way out of the room so perhaps there was a clue to escape around here. Then again there might not be any clue and I might be wasting my time when I should have been moving the highly unstable rocks from the entranceway.

I browsed over the old and worn bookshelves and took in the very musty and horrid smell of these old books. Yellowed paper and parchments that had been eaten away by time, none of them could serve to aid me in a way out now.

Some of the titles however referred to something to do with the mirror although what purpose it served was impossible to know but perhaps it was a clue to a way out? I went over to the table where all the chemistry tools were laid out and looked around for a while, not knowing what any of them really did.

Some chemicals still remained in their bottles. Many however had evaporated or gone bad and one even seemed to have exploded, leaving a black stain on the table and floor where it had been placed.

At one end there seemed to be some kind of test tube storage where dozens of red filled test tubes lay around gathering dust and doing nothing particularly interesting. Then again I was being too imaginative. Did I expect them to burst out of their tubes and do a dance?

I left that tables and went over to the mirror and looked at it. I could see my reflection in the mirror as normal and all and nothing at all seemed different. A tall and sadly not very muscular stallion looked back at me with his dark green military Uniform making him look very smart and powerful. He also seemed to have lost his cap, though I remembered/ that I'd never worn it that day anyway.

"At least I'm not fat" I thought "Though maybe I should take up some activity to gain a little muscle back". The mirror didn't look special at all and I reached my hoof out tentatively to touch it. It made a high ringing sound when my hoof came into contact with it, almost like a crystal glass.

That was when I spotted something around the back of the mirror that I hadn't seen. I looked down to see what looked like a rock but upon further inspection I realized was actually a bone. I looked around the mirror and was shocked to see the hollow eyes of a skeleton staring back at me.

I stepped back a little and walked round to the mirror and had a long look at the poor pony that had died here. He was some kind of military leader, maybe even a royal himself as he was dressed to impress and some of his military decorations had yet to rust away. His uniform had a hole in the chest and although it was worn I guessed that he was likely wounded by a bullet in the battle and had retreated in here, maybe expecting a final stand?

"Although to do what was a complete mystery as a final stand with one pony isn't much of a stand" I thought, looking around to see if there wasn't actually a secret exit within this secret laboratory that had been hidden behind the wall of my bedroom for a little less than half a century maybe more.

That's when I spotted what was lying next to him. A vial of the red liquid that he must have spilled was lying next to his outstretched hoof. "How mysterious" I murmured, it seemed like he was trying to drink it or something or maybe it was some kind of healing remedy those Zebras were so fond of.

I picked up the vial and looked at the dead skeleton of the pony. For some reason I suddenly felt quite guilty for my part in his death. "I'm sorry" I said out loud, though it felt hollow and cowardly. It was after all a bit late to be sorry.

I wasn't sure what this all meant but I was sure that this had to link up in some way. I sat down on one of the amputheaters stands and looked at the mirror and the vials over by the lab tables. Then I looked at the bookshelves and the dead pony and began to think.

I wasn't exactly a pony of great intelligence but I had learned how to connect the dots in the past. This room was obviously a laboratory and the ponies under the crown had obviously been working on something to do with the vials and the mirror that was fairly big to hide it here.

The dead pony had obviously come here to escape as I assumed he wouldn't have simply come here to bleed out and he had in his hoof a vial of this formula he had been trying to drink. The books were useless but they hinted that the mirror was something special and so I began to think really hard, pushing my brain into overdrive.

It seemed bizarre but then this whole situation was but I believed that he had been trying to drink the vial before he'd die to use the mirror to do… something. Maybe it was some kind of magical healing unit or maybe it was a way out. I'd heard that Royal's used to possess the ability to magically disappear and reappear at will in a different location at the cost of a large portion of magic but I believed it to be a myth as there was no evidence of this in reality.

I stood up and touched the mirror and looked to see if it sparkled or shimmered. Beyond looking brand new it didn't look magical and when I touched it again it let out the same high pitched ring as before.

I went over to the tables and picked up a box with the vials in them. I took one out and pulled the cork out of it. The waft on what smelled like the strongest vodka hit me but coupled with what smelled like blood it made me want to vomit.

I threw the vial away and took another out, this time not releasing the stopper. I placed it in a small pocket in my uniform and went down to the mirror and steeled myself for what I was about to do.

This was a stupid and unwise decision. Drinking a few centuries old vial of unknown liquid and walking into a mirror. I was more likely to get some infection than to transport myself to a different part of the castle.

But thinking it through this was my only option. I couldn't blast a way back to my bed chambers as the tunnels would collapse on me and kill me. I couldn't call out for help cause that would make me feel foolish and likely achieve nothing from the amount of rock between me and somepony else. Waiting here to die didn't seem very fun either as I would first feel my tongue swell up as I had nothing but blood vials to drink and that would choke me and so that left me to follow my gut and do this.

I touched the mirror once more and held the liquid up with my magic, debating what I was going to do. I'd have liked to pass this off as a dream but all I ever had were nightmares of the things I'd done to all the ponies under my reign and before and this was no nightmare.

"You only live once" I said comically to myself, ashamed about my immortality as I uncorked the vial and without thinking swallowed the red liquid. It was thick and oily and had indeed the texture of blood besides the way it looked and I gagged, nearly throwing up.

I wished for a drink of water but unfortunately there wasn't anything to drink except the damned red chemical now making my throat burn. "Maybe I've poisoned myself?" I thought, thinking it ironic that whoever ruled the land in the next thousand years would dig up this castle and find the body of The Red Stallion clutching the poison he'd taken probably to stop the pain of starving to death.

"That makes me look cowardly" I thought as I erupted into a fit of coughing but managed to regain my composure enough to stare into the mirror that now looked kind of shimmery.

At first I assumed the vial may have had some kind of narcotic in it but only the mirror shimmered whilst the rest of the room seemed fine. "This is unreal" I thought but the words "Who wants to live forever" repeated in my head and with a sigh I launched myself into the mirror.

What surprised me was not the fact I'd went through it but the fact that I came out of it fairly quickly as well, landing in a heap on a nice marble floor that was the first sign that I was back in my castle. I looked up to see I'd popped out of a pillar and groaned from my heap on the floor.

I was actually a little disappointed that the ride hadn't lasted longer than that. I had expected swirling, multi-colored tunnels and myself to swirl along with them as I shifter between space and time but then I supposed I should be happy to just be back in, well wherever I was.

I sat up and looked around the room and definitely knew that these weren't my bed chambers.

The walls were painted with stars to a blue background and the bed was of dark blue with silk sheets and the windows didn't bear the banner of the people, instead opting to be bare.

"But this is Canterlot castle surely? I know the marble and the pillars I must be home" I thought when suddenly a voice from behind startled me and I almost fall back through the pillar I'd fallen through.

"Well that's not something you see every day" said an obviously female voice though the accent was like none I'd ever heard, so light and not at all like anypony in the people's nation.

I turned around and my mouth dropped at what I saw. "T-That's not possible" I said in shock. "You're all dead! I killed you all!" I stammered, backing up to the pillar. It didn't let me through like before and I was forced to face my nightmares now turned reality and I as terrified as always.


	2. The Princess of the Night

**The Princess of the Night**

I saw the night was almost over and grimaced. Although sunrise was always inevitable I just felt that the nights could be a little longer. Maybe ponies wouldn't have to go to sleep almost immediately when the sky darkened as well, instead they could stay up and star gaze or at party, I'd have thought ponies liked to party more at night but the day ruled over that activity as well.

I also felt that the night wasn't completely appreciated for what it was already. Sure the sun brought warmth and good crops but the night brought with it the moon and the stars and they were in my view more important. Then again since it was my set task to raise and lower it every day I supposed it was natural to think like that.

Of course I was also really jealous that the sun and the keeper of the sun got all the attention but I didn't really mind anymore. After all the keeper of the sun was my sister and I loved her with everything I had. There was a time when I forgot about that but in the end I had seen the light... quite literally and it came in the form of a bright hurtling rainbow that smacked me back to my senses.

I gazed out over the land from atop the tallest tower in Canterlot castle's balcony. It was strange ruling over a land in another castle but then it had been nearly a year since I had returned to Equestria and I expected it would be strange after all the land had also changed, borders growing and cities rising from where once nothing stood.

Then again I didn't truly rule over the land and I supposed it was the way it had to be. Nopony really paid me attention and I was never actually called to make decisions of state and in a way I was actually thankful since I had tried to rule the day shift before and all the bureaucracy, rushed meals and pen pushing had made me go almost insane in the span of little over twelve hours.

Besides the night was the time I was usually up and I enjoyed it. Being able to stare out at Equestria was entertaining as monsters loved to come out at night and terrorize towns giving my guard and I something to do and when in the castle occasionally my eye did slip and I'd stargaze, although I knew all the stars off by heart. If the people could be thankful for something they could at least thank me for the increase in the visibility of the stars, my sister could never get that right not matter how long she'd handled the moon.

I was thankful to her in many ways and not only for forgiving me after what I'd done but also for giving me back my old position. So long had passed that now we didn't really co-rule anything anymore but I expected that she'd carry on as usual as the old routine we had once followed had been replaced to follow the modern times. The times confused me though, knew social interaction, new ways of speaking and using new words and above al else the technology that seemed to never stop surprising me.

I didn't mind at all not being a playing part in the crown, after what I'd done I knew I wouldn't be given ruler-ship over anything, at least for the time being.

What I didn't expect however was how much ponies feared me. I had destroyed my sister and mine's castle and hurt Celestia deeply both mentally and physically but I hadn't hurt anypony else, at least not to my knowledge.

Upon returning however it seemed that a dark aura of mystery and weariness had been placed around me and even a holiday named after me that I didn't really appreciate at first and saw as insulting.

Expected I suppose when word gets out of what you've done no matter how long ago and gossip about me probably circulated from castle staff about my speech differences (which I'd gotten under control), my lack of knowledge for modern technology specifically focused on the light switch and of course the fact I had become a legend called The Mare in the Moon.

That had at first hurt me but now it seemed that as I toured with my sister and became more known that I wasn't feared which I was thankful for. But neither was I loved though and sometimes I got the feeling that I was tolerated by everypony even by my sister and that was what really hurt me besides being unable to rule together with my big sister.

Despite a very small age difference she treated me like a filly since day one of my return and my pardon. Very rarely does she actually just accept me as her equal and only in times of great strife, which sometimes she even knows are going to happen and so purposely gives me a task outside the castle to busy myself with whilst she or her beloved student deal with the matter.

I know she loves me as well but it's infuriating not to be treated as an adult when you've lived for well over a thousand years, even though much of that time was spent on the moon and as a dark, magical chaos version of yourself that wanted only revenge and to place the world into eternal darkness and suffering.

I shook my head and looked at the time, realising the sunrise was due I began to lower the moon, my horn lighting up with an aura of dark blue magic that slowly began to see the moon lower, it's decent we'll on its way until it was tucked behind the far distant hills and began its rotation.

I'd done it thousands of times before, and on a few occasions even the sun, though the power to raise that is ten times more and almost exhausts me whenever I try to do it.

I began to climb down from the tower, descending down the steps to the main hall where my sister was waiting, bright and cheery and ready for anything as always. How she maintained that smile was indeed a mystery that would never be solved as most days I just felt like frowning. Then again our personalities had always been different and with all that had happened between us I suppose she had much to smile about.

"Good morning sister!" Celestia cooed happily whilst her assistant organised a set of files with his magic. "I see that the night shift has made you tired yes?" She asked almost regally.

In truth I was pretty tired but I didn't want to admit it is so instead I replied "No sister not at all, in fact let me do some work before I turn in, clear some of those monstrous and not to mention pointless piles of documents you have on what was once your desk but now your filing room."

Celestia's elderly assistant nearly dropped all his files at the thought of me messing with whatever system they had going on there but Celestia brushed off my offer as if I needn't have made it in the first place.

"Let it be sister, you should rest and prepare for the night once more. The day shift is mine" and with the way she said it, her rainbow mane flickering back against her white coat hurt me deeper than anything. Although she'd said it harmlessly it was almost like a reminder that my time as a ruler was over, that I was just the Moon Mascot now, called up for large ceremonies or for the stupid holiday in my name... though they did have delightful games and treats and it seemed in good fun I wished they'd not have statues of me in my nightmare form around at this time. It was just a bad reminder all of it all.

My sister sauntered off and in barely thirty seconds the sun began to rise, looking massive from the windows of the castle until it rested finely in the backdrop of a pure blue sky. It looked like it was going to be, once more a really sunny summer day.

"Show-off" I muttered but smiled, Celestia always did like to flex her muscles and show off even when we were fillies, her magic always being stronger and more polished than mine. Now with a thousand years of ruling under her belt however this made her the most experienced and loved pony in Equestria and she was admired greatly by other nation's rulers as well for this, putting her on the list of probably the fairest, kindest, merciful and most powerful pony in the known world.

I suppose I did have a reason to be jealous. But then I didn't think about that anymore, the life of me and my sister was far too long to hold grudges and with my past all I really could do was comply and be thankful. Of course I could be worse off but I had my powers, I had wealth and what little prestige remained that wasn't immediately picked apart when my back turned and the aristocrats and politicians began to whisper.

If anypony had really forgiven me it was my sister and my citizens, the ponies of Equestria. Ponies dedicated to hard work, enjoyment and fairness. Living in crime free lands under the ruler ship of my sister and I and to the north our crystal pony cousins, returned around the same time as myself, gone for just as long, now ruled by Celestia's niece and all this kept in harmony by six elements of harmony, taken long ago by my sister and I from the Tree of harmony now wielded by six admirable ponies one of whom was a powerful once student turned Princess called Twilight Sparkle.

Equestria prospered in peace and safety and I saw this when looking out at the Capital's many features. I'd seen the high-rise buildings of Manehatten, seen the commercial port in Fillydelphia in its splendour and toured the casinos with their enjoyable games in Las Pegasus so why did I despair and feel empty inside when my people were prospering and happy?

"I've been pardoned and yet this seems worse than any punishment" I thought, sliding into another depressing stream of bad thoughts. It had all been my fault and my fault alone and thanks to all these reminders I would never forget it.

I sighed and began to make my way to my bed chambers, looking similar to the design I'd had in my old room in the castle in the Everfree. The castle that I had destroyed, though my sister told me that Twilight Sparkle was trying to restore parts of it and took interest in the library particularly that I was awfully glad of as I had once had good times in that castle.

I trudged up the stairs with their rich red carpet and marble banisters of grand design. Stone seemed to be replaced by marble in this new castle, not something I particularly liked and gold littered every corner and portrait and made the place look truly royal.

I got to my room and yawned heavily. I was tired and wanted to get out of my depressing state and into the realm of dreams. I liked my dreams, mostly as I could control anything I wanted in them since I was after all the keeper of dreams. The Nightmares still came though of what I'd done and what I could easily do again if I really wanted to.

Sometimes during the night I would help ponies in their own dreams solve their problems in real life. I chose only a few specific cases though as helping everypony would mean the night would last forever before I was done aiding everypony in what went wrong with their lives and why.

I levitated my black and shiny shoe off my fore-hoof and onto a dresser and prepared to take my crown and regalia off when something surprising and totally unexpected of a Friday morning happened.

A tall, red stallion with a golden hammer and what looked like a sickle crossed together for a cutie mark with a long black mane and wearing some kind of military uniform burst through the pillar next to a small coffee table and landed upside down in a heap on the floor. He seemed a little disorientated and when he looked around I saw he was a young Unicorn.

His face went from relaxed to a confused stern look as if he was slightly angry as well as confused with his current surrounding and somehow it wasn't his fault despite the fact he had appeared out of nowhere, perhaps through teleportation that he had come to be in my bedroom.

"Well this isn't something you see every day" I blurted out loudly, without thinking that this pony could be dangerous. He reacted quickly, spinning round and looking at me in horror, almost falling over as he backed up in fear.

"He must take the Nightmare Moon thing seriously" I thought with a sigh as he stammered "This can't be! I killed you all!" and he looked towards me as if I was some kind of ghost of his past come to declare his crimes. "What crimes could he have committed though?" I thought.

I held a hoof up, the one that had now no shoe on it and asked calmly "Who are you?" as good a question as any to ask a pony who'd just popped out of nowhere that looked as if death had come calling.

He remained silent, his eyes darting all over me as if he were studying me to determine if I was a threat or not. After a minute I began to get impatient and after clearing my throat I demanded "Who are you!?" He looked up and shook his head free of whatever thoughts he had been debating with himself and replied "I am The Red Stallion". He blinked quickly and cracked his neck before asking "This cannot be a dream can it?"

I shook my head and answered positively "I'm quite sure this is not a dream, now if you don't mind I demand that you tell you're Princess who you are and where you come from or I will have to call the guards and my sister and then it will all get very confusing and waste our time."

He seemed to compose himself, immediately transforming from an afraid, frail pony to one of great stature standing only slightly taller than me, a genetic trait not many ponies possessed. "You don't know of me?" he asked in disbelief and I shook my head and wondered if this was somepony I should know. My sister certainly never mentioned him but I doubted she knew of him either as he didn't exactly know where he was.

He shook his head and rubbed his eyes in disbelief as if he were hoping this was some kind of dream before he came to the out loud conclusion. "I must be dead" he uttered, rasping out with a thick accent that was something I'd never heard before, deep and booming almost.

I was beginning to get fed up of his dower, frightened rabbit attitude and shouted "You are alive and well and currently are in my bed chambers! If there is something wrong then please tell your Princess because I am not in the mood to jest and be made into a fool!"

It was a small outburst of anger but then I deserved a small outburst of anger for putting up with this blithering idiot and his whiny attitude. He seemed insulted and suddenly in his eyes I saw a flash of what seemed like a terrible anger, one that could easily rob me of my life or destroy mountains if it wanted to but then suddenly it was gone and replaced with a cold and calm state of composure.

He dusted off his uniform, cleared his throat and in that thick maybe northern accent explained "I am the Supreme Commander of the United Republic of Soviet Ponies, the Hero of the Revolution, the Conqueror of the Eastern Lands and the Father of Freedom."

I wasn't sure where this pony had come from by he was either telling the truth and had somehow come from a faraway land to greet Equestria or he was compltey fruit loops and escaped from the Canterlot psychiatric ward.

"Perhaps it is for the best that I call my sister to come deal with this" I thought and was about to teleport to the tower when another voice in my head shouted "Sure run along to big sister for help. You're too small and weak to deal with one crazy pony."

I mentally kicked myself. I was right and needed to just get over this depressing and foalish "Run to big sister" act and deal with my own problems. So I pretended that this pony was not crazy as he might really be some leader or diplomat or whatever else and replied "I am Princess Luna, co-ruler of the land of Equestria, Raiser of the Moon, Defeater of the trickster Discord, Banisher of the tyrant Sombra and Uniter of the Land."

"Perhaps I am a bit of a show off as well" I thought but then again all those titles were true, even if I did leave out the small Nightmare Moon detail but then he didn't really need to know that part.

He looked at me oddly and seemed confused as if all I'd said was a garbled message but in the end he asked "What do you mean ruler of Equestria?" that surprised me since he was in Equestria and not to know you were in the heart of Equestria seemed a little strange and a bit crazy on his part.

"Equestria is the nation you are in. It has lasted for over a thousand years under my sister's ruler ship and I am sure it will last for a good thousand more" I explained to him.

He seemed angry. As if he were about to break something and go on a rampage. Barley containing himself and shaking from the strain he said "I once knew of a pony who spoke a lot like that. You know what he did?"

I wasn't sure what he was getting at but he seemed to be dangerous that much for sure so I ordered "Stop with your threatening tone or I will call my guard! Nothing will harm you in these walls I assure you on my honour."

He seemed to calm down a little but he still shook in fury but for what reason I didn't know as so far as I knew I had said nothing to offend him. Perhaps his customs were different to the ones kept in Equestria as if I was sure of anything he was define fly not from Equestria.

He calmed down more and sighed. "I apologise my lady. I have had bad memories of Royals and still don't like them but you are obviously nothing like the tyrants that plagued my nation once upon a time."

"What time and place was this exactly?" I asked him curiously, wondering where he could come from. He looked a little unsure when he answered "I was born in Stalliongrad, in the cold winter months under the reign of King Vitalis the third of Equestria. Twenty years later I would overthrow his reign and build a new nation from the ashes of the tyrannical monarchy that had inflicted such cruelty and neglect on their people" he explained in a sombre voice.

I was silent as a million questions bombarded me. His explanation made absolutely no sense of course but that didn't stop the questions flowing free. "You are unreal I said" shaking my head and pacing quickly back and forth.

"If only" he murmured and I explained "No I don't understand anything about you. It is as if you have been read from the lines of some fictitious tale and placed in the real world. Equestria prospers, before us there were no other rulers, my sister and I have ruled since the formation of the three tribes into Equestria so wherever you are from cannot be this Equestria."

He rubbed his bristly chin and looked around and placed a hoof on the pillar. "I came through this pillar after stepping in through a magical transportation mirror. I had found a secret from the past and was foalish enough to use it. I don't know where I am but I am in the terrible position of needing to request a monarch for help as I cannot see any way to get back" he replied looking towards me with deep brown eyes that looked like autumn.

It was a little hurtful that he seemed to dislike monarchs and so me but I supposed that he was from a different world and maybe Monarchs were different there. Like Sombra was to his Crystal Ponies, cruel and totally controlling of everypony.

I thought over everything that had occurred before nodding. "It is best we deal with this calmly, who knows what this magical phenomenon could mean. I know of other mirrors here but none that send you to a world like that. We must talk with my sister" I said confidently sure that now was time to tell Tia.

"She will know what to about you, she always knows what to do about everything" and with saying that I turned and began to walk to the tower. I looked behind to see the Ruler of the United... Whatever staring after me and asked "Would you like an invitation?"

He seemed to kick into action then, following me as we trotted along to my sister and hopefully a few answers to the many questions I'm sure we both had about each other.


	3. The New World

**The New World**

I was furious with myself at first. "I've stumbled into an ancient trap and now these Royals have come to kill me" I thought at first. However my fury turned to them when I realised this was not a trap and the Royal lady before me didn't know a thing about me.

I assumed her to be a genuine royal, one that had escaped all the bloodshed in whatever place this was and continued her cruel and tyrannical reign. I felt my blood boil then and was eager to dip into my almost endless power and smite her where she stood. Finish the job I'd started all those years ago and clear the world of the Equestrian Royals forever and then maybe the nightmares would stop.

However I couldn't do it. She was not like any royal I'd ever heard of in my time. She swore on her honour the she would let no harm come to me and although I didn't normally trust royals something told me that she was telling the truth and so I calmed down and tried to make sense of my surroundings.

"This is no time to lose your temper, just figure out what is happening" I told myself and so we began to converse both swapping titles and names. Hers making no sense and sounding like some old ponytale and mine sounding too glorious to be real and full of hot air.

Princess Luna was her name. She was a strange looking mare. Besides being a Royal with her hybrid of wings and a horn she was a dark, deep blue with mysterious shining blue hair that shimmered quite literally and attempted to escape into the air like some kind of gas.

For some reason on her flank she had this strange picture of the moon, which linked to some title she'd given away that told the tale of how she could raise the moon that was quite ridiculous since the moon didn't need any help in being raised and was perfectly fine in its orbit.

Away from stories though her eyes were the most interesting things about her. Starry and bright as if entire galaxies flew about in them making her extra magical and extra dangerous in my eyes and she seemed to see it, or maybe she was just summing me up as well and seeing what I was, I was good at hiding who I really was though so I wished her luck.

We both didn't know what to do it seemed so she decided to take me to her sister so that they could properly decide what to do with me. I didn't really like being treated as some anomaly but then I needed help desperately. "Perhaps that liquid was a drug and this is my minds strange reality?" I thought though it was obvious I was no longer in my world and I didn't want to annexe mine into this one, all I wanted was to get home and forget that this all had ever happened.

So we left with Princess Luna leading the way. She surprised a guard clad in black with bat like wings when she emerged but she paid him no heed and he went back to standing rigid and staring blankly into space. "Just like my guard almost, apart from the out of date armour and freakish wings" I thought, looking oddly at the shiny black metal that must slow him down in battle and the wings that can't have been real. Armour however seemed to take precedence in my scrutiny, not like a proper uniform at all.

We passed along the hallways that were amazingly enough identical to the halls of my Canterlot Castle and I remarked on this, pointing out "We must be heading towards the observation tower."

The Princess stopped walking and turned a little suspicious of my remark and demanded "How do you know of such a thing!?" to which I replied "This castle is Canterlot Castle. It is my residence in my world and it is exactly the same. I don't know how but it is the truth."

She looked a little perplexed and said "It is best that we talk with my sister. This inter dimensional, space and time traveling mirror business is not my specialty." The way she said it was comical enough and I couldn't help but give a slight smile and ask "Is it anyponys speciality?"

She didn't seem to be one for jokes and stated "I think we should just keep moving. My face dropped and I nodded as we started forwards again, I didn't want to spend too long in this world and its confusing differences and yet similarities.

We pressed on until we came to the steps to which we ascended, meeting the most amazing pony I'd ever seen in my life. She towered over her sister and me and her white coat shone like the hot sun above her. Her hair waved like her sister's but it looked like a rainbow and sparkled brighter. Her eyes were like a thousand suns and shone with power and warmth that made me feel safe just looking at her.

"By Lemming" I uttered in awe as she turned towards us and asked "Dear sister is something the matter?" Princess Luna seemed slightly embarrassed as she replied "Yes sister there is something very much the matter" and I got the impression that something had happened between the two that caused this slightly regal, sisterly interaction despite the fact they were both rulers.

"This pony here had best explain everything properly. I was only there when it happened" she said, handing the stand to me. "What has happened my little pony?" asked Princess Luna's sister. How she asked me made me a little bit angry but I replied coolly, saying "That's just the thing, I am not your or anyponys little pony" and so I began to give her the rundown of all that happened to me today, from the secret passageway to my transportation here to how annoyed I was at being called little when she was a giant herself.

Princess Luna sat behind her sister and listened to every word I said carefully, as did her sister before finally after maybe half of an hour explaining, Princess Luna's sister replied "So you are a ruler from a different universe a lot like ours but with you at its head. Yes this is strange and indeed very unfortunate for you and us but do not worry however as we shall help you. I will get my personal student from Ponyville and her friends to come and study this pillar you fell out of and try and work out if a magical connection still exists."

She paced around obviously thinking hard as she explained "The next step is to recreate this trigger magic that activates the portals magic. Some work with spells, others don't but yours apparently works with poisons so I will find an expert on potions to help with that. Besides that I believe you will be stuck here for a while so I suggest you get comfortable with a room, my sister can show you to one" she said, finally mentioning Luna the had been left out of the decision making.

"They both wear crowns but only one pony rules this Kingdom" I thought to myself and Luna stepped up asking "Are you tired? Do you require rest now?" To which I replied by stifling a yawn and nodding.

"So be it then. I am Princess Celestia and you have met my sister Luna, you seem to know his castle so treat it as home but please try not to pry as we have our own secrets as every nation does."

I understood that but my suspicion arose by the way she said it. "They are still Royals, even if they are good ones they cannot be completely trusted I thought" as I thanked her and turned to Princess Luna.

"Come then and I will show you to your room" she told me, turning to leave but not before giving her sister a look I was not sure signified and then descending the steps. Princess Celestia was very smiley as she watched us go, almost too smiley.

Being in the hooves of these two rulers was a bad situation. I'd prefer a revolution to having to ask Royals for help but then I had no choice anymore. If his was what I had to do to get home to the people the. I would gladly do it. Beyond that I would have to ask for help in getting out of the amphitheatre but right now I was tired and needed to rest with all that'd happened today I just wanted to go home.

However I was curious still about these two Princesses', particularly Princess Luna who'd witnessed my transportation into this new land. She looked like she possessed fire in her eyes but seemed passive when it came to ruling what she had announced as Hal of her kingdom.

A confusing and powerful mare, not as powerful however as her sister who burned like the sun with energy that she seemed very tame with. I could feel it in her, the power with the potential to wreak havoc was there, but easily controlled behind her cool and calm face.

This new world might be an interesting thing to look into in the future but right now I had nothing but my magic, wits and charm to get by, so for now I would have to be polite and make the best of what I'd got.

"Are you upset?" Luna asked as we walked the palace halls. I was shaken out my thought and into conversation and replied truthfully "I am very upset Princess Luna. The people need me for guidance."

She cocked her head and looked back at me. "Sorry for asking this as it might be a little ignorant of me but why do you refer to them as the people and not your own people?" I sighed and thought of what a typical royal she was being. "It's because I don't own them. They are not mine to keep. In my land everypony is equal and free under the red flag."

There was a moment's pause before she asked "Then they chose you to lead them right?" I nodded "Yes, I suppose that is what they do." "Then surely there are more leaders where you come from?" She asked and I looked back and nodded in affirmation. "Tyrannical rulers of other nations and worse… fascists. The U.R.S.P is the only safe haven from the freedom leeching, soul destroying rulers of the other nations that would have some treated more fairly than others. Kind of like your nation" I said sarcastically without thinking about what I was saying.

Princess Luna took great insult to this as I imagine any ruler would and I expected her to shout at me for this and give me a really bad telling off. What I received however was even more shocking as a hoof came my way giving me no time to think about what I was supposed to do in this situation before the harsh slap resounded out throughout the halls and sent me tumbling over.

"How DARE YOU!" she shouted at me from above and with my hoof I lightly touched the surely hoof shaped, tender red mark on my muzzle. I was angry and prepared to yell back, never being hit for so many hundreds of years I was ready to call the execution squad before remembering this wasn't my castle.

The ponies of your land may suffer hardship at the hooves of evil ponies but my sister and my citizens enjoy a far happier lifestyle. All are happy, all are content and most of all they love everypony and everypony loves them back! So if you try for a single minute to say that my citizens are treated unfairly and discontent then I swear I will make sure to haunt your dreams for your entire life no matter what dimension you are in.

It was just like that and I was defeated. All of the will that I had in me had gone and I groaned in pain and bowed my head from my position on the floor. "My apologies Princess Luna for my remark that was shameful of me and no way to talk to a lady or a Princess. I am sure your citizens are very happy with you to rule and watch over them and your sister. I beg of your forgiveness in this matter and hope we can overlook this" I said truthfully.

She remained with an angry look on her face but she looked away and calmed down and sighed sorrowfully. "You don't need to beg. Please Supreme Leader I did not mean to lash out so and it was shameful of me to hit you. I beg for your forgiveness." I shook my head and responded duly, saying "I was being an ass and I've probably needed that slap for a while now."

Princess Luna smirked but it quickly disappeared and she offered a hoof "Allow me to at least assist you in standing at the very least." I shook my head and quickly got up. "I rely on no pony" was my reply but then she looked at me quizzically. "I thought you needed our help to get you back to your homeland and the ponies under your leadership?"

I thought for a moment and then asked "Is this room I shall be residing in nearby as I feel very tired" to which the Princess rolled her eyes, obviously knowing that I had deliberately overridden her question in order to not answer. "It is nearby" she replied and began to trot faster until we came to another grand room that was in the east part of the second floor of the castle.

"You can stay here for now" she said "Hopefully you won't be here for too long as I can imagine your people miss you and vice versa" to which I replied "Oh I'm sure they're practically tearing apart the castle back home for me" which they may really be doing had somepony not already taken my place as Supreme Commander.

I looked around the very royal but plain room. It looked like all other rooms in my castle with a different colour pattern to that of the red banner and dark green that was the main part of all uniform. "I'm sure you are as tired as I am so I will bid you a goodnight… well uh a good morning and please don't worry about your citizens or how you are going to get back as we are happy to assist in any way."

I smiled brightly, although it wasn't genuine as I didn't really want them fawning over me, it just added to the embarrassment. "It is ok Princess Luna I will be fine, but please I would like to know some things before I go to bed?" I asked and sat down upon one of the comfy crimson armchairs.

Princess Luna seemed unsure but then pulled my bedroom door too and asked "What would you like to know?" I smiled at her general question and replied "Oh I'd like to know everything but then we are both tired so everything can wait until tomorrow. No I would like it if you could tell me what happened between you and your sister to make you so… robotic."

She seemed a little bit surprised and then a mixture of anger and sorrow entered her voice and she replied "That is not a topic of conversation I am up to discussing. It is a very private matter and as my sister said before all nations have their secrets" and with that she turned to go but not before I stopped her with a loud "Wait" almost like an order really and at first it didn't look like she was going to obey it until she turned her head and frustrated asked me "What is Supreme Commander, I am tired and need rest."

"A sister is a precious thing to have. Somepony you can trust completely and love to the end of time itself." She seemed to grow a little sad when I said this and but then angry when she replied "I'm sorry but what would you know about having a sister?" To which I replied "I had a sister. Her name was Pesky but I always called her Pesca. She was yellow and had a bright orange mane and she used to love playing in the bright, bright sun every Sunday outside our house" I said sombrely.

Princess Luna rolled her eyes "Then you know what pain sisters are. My sister and I don't have a great relationship and it's my entire fault" Luna said her voice cracking. "I'm sure your sister and you get along just fine but." "My sister is dead" I said flatly and that instantly killed all conversation in the room.

The Princess's eyes tearing up and she tried to speak, to say something, maybe sorry but I stopped her by standing up and going over to her, taking one of her hooves and saying "Whether you did it or your sister did it there is no stronger bond than between siblings. Whatever you did your sister forgives you so you should forgive yourself and move on. I won't ask what it was you did but you should stop asking that of yourself.

I let go of her hoof and went over to the mirror nearby. Standing in front of it and adjusting my uniform and all my unworthy medals. She had opened up a lot of questions about myself as well as opening up a load of questions about her sister and herself.

I saw that she was still standing by the door, stock still and still blurry eyes and looking a little frail. "Princess Luna I didn't mean to upset you in anyway and if I did then may I offer my apologies." She shook her head softly and swallowed before replying "No-No its ok. You are right of course about everything. I-I-I thank you actually and I will see you tomorrow" she bowed her head before she slipped out of the door and closed it quietly behind her.

I sighed and hit my head against the mirror with a dull thunk. Being here among Royals and without my seat of power was reminding me of my family and what… what had been done to them all those years ago. Why I took up arms against the crown initially in the first place and then what I'd done when I'd brought them down.

"Why have I become a life coach to a Princess now?" I thought, thinking back to a few moments ago when I took the Princess's hoof and poured my soul out to her over my dead little sister. It had made me depressed. I wasn't going to have a very good sleep this night, not that I ever had a good nights sleep.

I began unbuttoning my Uniform and folded it neatly, setting it down on the armchair with my magic. "I wonder how my guard and generals are handling the current situation" I wonder what my generals and staff are doing back home" I thought before I nestled into the satin sheets and closed my eyes. "My country will be doomed if they find I'm gone."


	4. Unintended

**Unintended**

I was angry at myself for having hit him. I was angry at him and myself for having stayed behind to answer his questions and not just declined politely and gone to bed to avoid the waves of emotions that occurred and were now still occurring. However I was most angry with myself for the way I'd been acting around my sister, especially when he was there.

I rushed down the hallways passing guards and stunned castle staff and not trying to hide my blurry eyes, I galloped up the observation steps to where my sister was preparing to leave to attend some form of Royal business and practically threw my hooves around her, sobbing like some small filly.

Tia was surprised at first but then her surprise turned to anger and she asked coldly "What has he done?" Obviously referring to our guest but misunderstanding what he had really done for me and why I was pretty much crying.

"He's opened my eyes big sister! I'm so sorry for everything but it's going to be all ok. I know you're just looking out for me and that's great and all but I can handle myself. I'm just so pleased that you're my sister and that you're here" I wailed a little dramatically for me, thinking that I'd gotten over all this phase a year ago.

Tia couldn't help but begin to tear up as well and she also embraced me whilst her assistant stood bored behind her, checking his pocket watch with his magic, his bristled moustache looking very upset and his eyes clearly rolling at the emotional but time wasting scene. He of course had been in the service of my sister for many a year but I could not remember his name, "Kle" something though he was one of two others though my sister's most reliable assistant.

"So our stranger said something then?" Tia asked and I nodded in affirmation "He really did say something. Something that made me so glad that I have a sister and that you happen to be her, also that and you are still alive and not dead has something to do with it"

My sister seemed glad but after a few minutes of staying in our warm, sisterly embrace she asked "Am I going to be able to have my body back this century or is this going to be a waiting game? Cause you know I've had as much practice as you."

I sheepishly let go and wiped my eyes "So sorry sister" I apologised. She nodded and looked towards her assistant who tapped his pocket watch furiously. "I'm sorry Lulu but I need to dash now, already two minutes behind schedule and so much to do" and with that she took off without a word else to be put in.

Was I a little hurt that she'd just left like that after I'd poured my heart out? Absolutely, but with what The Red Stallion had said I was hyped on being alive and having family to be around. This sadly clashed with the fact I'd done a twelve hour night shift and stayed up a few hours more what with the Supreme Commander coming through the gateway to his world.

I decided to go to bed then and try and catch him when I got up to raise the moon. He probably would be stuck in the same sleep cycle as I now and so I would likely get to see more of him which pleased me greatly as he was a distraction from the usual routine.

He was fascinating in so many ways. He was angry and vile one moment but then a cool, calm and collective gentlemen the next. A pony of wise words and wisdom but then one who threw insults around like some common sailor the next, which although was not very high-class like made for a deeply tangled personality.

Indeed his twists in personality were as fascinating as how he'd come to be here and the land he hailed from. "He must really love his land to want to get back to it so much" was all I could think of his eagerness to leave, though I supposed I too would not like being stuck in a foreign dimension. The way he described it seemed that ponies were quite content with his rule or leadership or whatever he did over there so that must mean that he was a good leader who was admired and respected.

However the undeniable sadness that had him hooked seemed to stem from all that he did for his ponies and with the speech he'd given me in his chambers it would appear that he carried around a large amount of baggage. I hated to dig but it was one of the things that made him mysterious and thus interesting to me.

I sighed from the guardrail at the hot sun and headed back inside. I needed to get to bed to raise the moon, no point in getting up if not to make sure everypony else got to sleep or else I'd be out of a job. Not that it was really my choice to do anything but then I didn't mind being one of the most important ponies in Equestria even if it wasn't acknowledged.

I trotted off slower than before and failed to hide my blush when passing all the ponies that had seen me in tears a few minutes ago. "Hopefully they won't talk so much about this" I thought, knowing that it would be a nice piece of gossip for the nobles to sink their claws into and rip apart at the next social event or fundraiser or whatever my sister did next.

I got back to my room and after entering and closing the door I once more let out an enormous sigh, rubbing my eyes and beginning to really regret the soppy, moment of emotional breakdown I'd suffered on my sisters behalf when all she'd done was to get a little teary and then carry on with guise of ruler as usual.

I shrugged and decided it wasn't worth worrying about all of these pointless things and to get to bed. Before that however I decided to inspect the round, groove-cut marble pillar that the Red Stallion had fallen through when he'd gone through the mirror he'd described.

I still couldn't believe that was his real name but since I didn't really want to press him over every little thing about him immediately then I decided it best to ask tomorrow or maybe a day from now.

The pillar was nothing special in looks, there was a small chip on one of the grooves and it shone bright white like all the other pillars in the castle. I touched it and nothing happened, not that I thought it would cause it was just a pillar but something strange did happen after I withdrew my hoof.

Something flashed in my mind, too quick for me to see but it was strange how it seemed bad though I hadn't seen it or anything I knew that it was bad just by some kind of inner feeling and I shivered, suddenly very cold.

"Curious" I thought but then yawned, exhausted from everything I would soon probably faint if I didn't get to bed. "Enough playing around Luna now you do need to get to sleep" and after taking off my black chest plate regalia crown, and remaining three shoes I was able to get to bed at last and settle down for a hopefully good day's sleep.

It was never hard to fall asleep for me and since I ruled over ponies dreams it was easy for me to control my own, though sometimes they took trips into nightmares but that was only in times of stress or sadness. However tonight I was too tired and so I focused less on dreaming and more on resting.

My internal alarm clock woke me up just as the sun began its long decent into the hills where it would look brilliant and inspire thousands of proposals this day alone. "My moon is still more romantic" I thought, smiling as I stood up and began to get ready for my night shift.

I never liked having to get up but then what pony in their right mind would like getting up and going to work at nine o'clock at night? All other ponies were winding down now and in a few hours the majority would be resting or partying until the day. I took a glance over at the pillar once more and poked it. No flashing images clouded my vision so I must have just imagined that before, probably taking in how tired I was added to the chances of hallucination.

I trotted off happily, wondering if that strange stallion had awakened yet. If he had then he'd probably have found my sister so I went to the observation tower.

On my way I saw the traffic of scribes and guards decrease as the night shift set in. My own personal guard wasn't exactly as massive as it had been so they weren't able to cover even half the castle which meant that the bulky day guard had to cover the castle's security at night as well as day.

It was a little insulting but then few ponies signed up to become a night guard. Day guards were prestigious, steadfast soldiers in golden armour and the image every young colt aspired to be one day. Night guards were silent, mysterious and thanks to the wing modifications of the Pegasi they were viewed as a complete different species by many although that of course was absurd.

I sighed and thought back to the times when games were held to see which guard was the best usually lasting a full day to make it fair with generally every pony drawing and much fun being had. But that was from a different time, a time now long gone and taken up only in the memories of me, my sister and maybe a history book or two had they not all crumbled to nothing by now.

I flicked my shimmering mane back and ascended to the top of the stairs where sure enough my sister was standing alongside our strange new guest, clad in his strange but very dashing uniform decorated with all his medals.

"Ah Luna, just in time to see the sun set. The supreme Commander and I were just discussing the details of how he will return home, I'm sure he'll fill you in but I myself must retire so goodnight" she yawned as the sun dissipated behind the hills and she turned and bid the Supreme Commander a goodnight.

The Supreme Commander seemed better now that he'd had a decent rest. More strong and sturdy in his posture and very calculating. "Goodnight Princess" he bid to my sister in that very thick accent before he bowed his head to me and offered me a goodnight as well."

I smiled and hid him a goodnight as my sister disappeared down the steps. I lit my horn up and in moments the large and pearly white moon began to rise over the land, bathing it in a lovely light as usual and showing off the stars.

I noticed the Supreme Commander staring at my horn as I finished putting he moon in place and smiled "Never seen a pony raise the moon before?" He smirked and shook his head, replying "Not me no, I didn't believe your sister when she told me that you also keep the sun and moon rotation cycle going but well it seems you have proved me wrong. Seeing how she lowered and you raised the sun however I must admit I am impressed by your raw power."

I blushed, usually my sister always got the almighty powerful deity compliment but it was nice for somepony to recognise my magical ability for a change.

"It's nothing really. Just a normal nightly thing to do for me" I shrugged, downplaying the entire thing. He smiled "It isn't normal to me. Where I come from the sun and moon completes their cycles without magical help."

I was interested by this and muttered "Fascinating" under my breath. He looked over at me and asked "Oh yes I am quite the novelty aren't I?" The way he'd said it didn't sound like he was being humorous so I quickly defended "It isn't every day you get the leader of another world zapping into your bedroom."

He cocked his head and shrugged "Fair point, I suppose you are right" he cleared his throat and asked "Anyway, would you like me to give the brief that your sister gave me?"

Although I'd have liked to know what my sister knew I had the entire night to talk and dine with him and so replied "It can wait till later, for now if it would be ok I'd like to ask some questions about you."

He looked over at me a little unsure but after a moment he replied "I suppose you are the ruler of this land and the least I can do is answer a few questions." It was good that he thought that because I would have simply not pushed it had he declined for fear of insulting him in some way, especially after our talk the previous night.

"Ask away Princess" he prompted and so I began with "What does your cutie mark mean?" This question seemed to completely perplex him and he thought for a few moments before he flatly asked "Sorry what?"

I thought he was joking and went to smile but by the look on his face he was clearly perplexed. "Oh maybe they call it something different where you come from. You know the picture on your flank signifying what is your special talent in life, what you're good at."

He looked behind at the right side of his flank and cocked his head. "There is nothing there your majesty" he pointed out. Now I was sure he was pulling my leg but when he began to look confused again I sighed I pointed "Your left flank Supreme Commander."

He looked round and almost had a fit. "What in the name of the Star is that!" he shouted at me in shock and anger. I was a little confused but stepped back and explained "It's a cutie mark, everypony has one it tells us our destiny kind of, you know our special talent."

He calmed down a little but quickly said "This is new, nopony has this where I am from. How do you get rid of it!?" He demanded trying harder to see it. I shook my head, wondering why he was so upset and replied "You can't it's there for life, marked into your fur. I suppose you could dye it out but it would still effectively be there."

He looked to my cutie mark and sighed "So let me guess... your talent is moon related?" I smiled and nodded "Yes indeed, how in Equestria you guessed that is beyond me. He chuckled but kept staring intensely at his flank as if he had laser vision and could just burn it off.

"Anyway do you know what it signifies?" I asked him, trying to get him out of his slight depression. He shrugged and turned back "It is the symbol of equality for my people so I guess this means that my cutie mark means fairness."

The way he said it he didn't seem to be quite so sure so I asked "Are you positive of that because you are kind of on the bench there. "He nodded sure of himself this time. "Yes it just signifies that" and after he just dropped the conversation.

I trailed my fore hoof along the ground awkwardly before I noticed the pouch on his side and pointed it out, asking "What is that thing strapped to your waist?"

He smiled and replied "I actually wanted to know if you had these in your world or not. I see you have electricity and I've seen a train in the distance but do you have firearms?" He asked as he pulled out with hi magic a silvery, metal kind of l shaped thing that must be called a firearm.

I shook my head and he explained "Well it's a long range weapon that is used by the military of the people, well they usually use rifles but they all have the same principle. It fires a small metallic object through the barrel here, which will then travel to hit its intended target. All you have to do is point and shoot basically.

I nodded in understanding and asked "Like a simple bow and arrow or a crossbow?" He squinted his eyes and slowly nodded "Sure yeah, whatever those are." I ignored the fact that he'd never heard of crossbows and asked how does it work?"

He smiled and put the metal firearm back in its holster. "Now Princess that would be telling. Besides I am a ruler and not a gunsmith so I couldn't tell you very much."

He seemed a little guarded against that topic so I moved on. "Does everypony in your homeland talk like you?" He nodded in affirmation replying "The Soviet ponies have always been told that we are thick accented." "Your accent is very smooth and fluid, a lot like the griffons" he muttered.

I smiled and asked "So you have Griffons in your homeland as well?" He nodded and then spat "We have been at war with them for over four centuries now and we have entered a stalemate in the fight, all it has done is drain out resources and created a huge loss of life."

I was shocked and surprised by this sudden knowledge and asked "Why in Equestria have hostilities lasted so long? What do you have to fight about?" He shook his head. "We call them fascists where I come from. Does this word exist in your language?"

I shook my head and asked what it meant and he grimly went on to explain "Basically they don't like other nations and believe the Griffon race superior. No relationships with other races are allowed and there are strict restrictions on everything you can do. Many suffer and many die by the claws of the Eagle, the ruler of the land."

I was just trying to comprehend what he was saying. That so many would die by the hands of their own leader was beyond any evil I could think. I prayed that had I defeated my sister I would not have slipped into the business of death so easily.

"I just don't understand how somepony could do that to another" I said breathlessly, truly astonished beyond comprehension. "That is why we fight, for a free world to live in where all are equal" he explained, leaning on the balcony of the observation tower.

Silence separated the next few minutes as we stared at the night sky. I wasn't sure what else I could ask after discussing such a depressing and dark topic. "Maybe we should not have talked about my world, it is far less kind than yours, if only everypony followed Ponyism" he explained his head low, staring at the castle below us.

"I agree with that I suppose" I said, not wanting to upset him with the memories of his homeland though I knew nothing about Ponyism. I could understand why ponies followed him with all his preaching of freedom obviously being true. I also understood how stressful it must be, way more than my job of ruling and raising a big lump of rock.

"So then you are on better terms with your sister?" He asked after a long while and I nodded "Yes I must thank you, it's been a hard year since returning but now I think it will only be better and better."

He cocked his head and asked "What do you mean returning? Did you go on a trip?" he asked me politely and I shook my head, turning sad. He didn't push anything but with all he'd told me I decided I could tell him what a monster I'd been.

"You see it's the reason my attitude with my sister can sometimes be awkward and tense." He nodded and that prompted me on to explain "You see my sister and I have overcome so much together but she always got the worship and the glory. The sun was of course always up along with ponies but few stayed up to see the night and many who did worked through it."

He saw this and nodded, just keeping silent as I explained sadly "I became very dark and jealous then and began to resent the glory my sister got, eventually this led down a path of evil which ate up my soul and caused me to attempt the takeover of Equestria in the form of a powerful being known here as Nightmare Moon."

He looked up and smiled "Like a revolution?" He asked but I shook my head, not a revolution against evil though, it was a revolution against my own sister because she got all the love and fame and I got nothing." I hung my head in shame, knowing that he would probably judge me as all the others had. This would always affect me until the end of time.

"But what happened then?" He asked and I looked up at him. He seemed as complacent and neutral as before and his deep eyes did no judging of me. "Well this was a thousand years ago you see so my sister wielded the power of these magical artefacts and banished me to the moon for a thousand years."

His face dropped and I assumed that he was about to reprimand and tell me what I'd done was wrong followed by some gallant remark about trusting your sister.

Instead he exclaimed "You are a thousand years old!?" to which I replied "Why yes, did royals where you're from never live that long?" He grabbed me roughly and shook me, demanding "How did you do so!?"

"Ok fine let go of me ok it's just the curse of the Alicorn to be immortal forever" I told him to make him let go of me. He let go of me and didn't seem to notice my hurt expression as he paced around. "You are immortal? Both you and your sister and other... Uh whatever you called yourself?" He asked and I nodded "Yes, we are forced to live out an endless life with old age never rising and death never coming to claim us unless we are struck down by some disease or by the hoof of another, not that it will ever come to that hopefully."

He began to laugh and pointed to himself "Well it's nice to know I am not the only one who is destined to live to the end of time" something which in turn surprised me immensely and I asked "You are immortal?" He shook his head and explained "I don't know if I am or not, I was able to extend my life so that I could lead my people for ever and ever but I don't know when or if I can die of old age."

I was unsure why he would do such a thing if he was big on equality as it seemed selfish but then he lived for the people so I supposed it was almost a curse like that of my sister and mine. "How did you do it though?" I asked and he explained "I had hundreds of scientists and mages at my disposal so it was actually quite easy, the way I understand it we harnessed the power of some almighty tree in the Neverfree forests and coupled its soul into mine, this is how I am still living and breathing, over half a century old and still going strong and looking good."

"Those names seem familiar but I cannot put my hoof on it" I thought and shrugged. There was another pony in this world that was able to extend his life through magic. Though this magic was poisonous, evil and dark and corrupted him to inflict such horror on the ponies under his rule. He was a tyrant like those of your world, enslaved his people and worked them to death.

The Supreme Commander said nothing before asking "Is he dead?" In that same flat tone he used for serious matters and I answered "Yes I believe that in the final confrontation of his reawakening a few months ago he is now no more." He nodded his head slowly and simply said good before going back to watching the sky.

I kept watch over the land and we enjoyed the companionable silence and after a while I said "Twilight Sparkle will be here tomorrow. She has become an Alicorn like my sister and I, though we were born to it."

He thought for a few moments and asked "She will find a way to get me home then?" to which I replied "Oh I wouldn't be surprised if you weren't home by the end of the week." He grinned "Is it a Saturday today or do you not have weeks and months in this land?" to which I chuckled and answered "No we do have those and yes it is a Saturday."

I felt happy talking to him and so we began to converse on many topics of the differences between our worlds, the similarities and other small and insignificant topics. Dancing around and away from heavy topics of war and politics that had affected both our nations but with the result of his being "Bathed in blood of the people" like the flag of his nation as he described.

"I can see improvements that could be added to your land though" he said, missing the insulting edge that he's said it with. I was in too good a mood to care much and asked "Oh really? Like what?"

He casually leaned back against the guard rail of the tower and replied "Oh I can just tell that you don't have a standard military, just these slow guards. Neither do I believe you have an intelligence agency and those could be handy in the case of stealing from other nations and unravelling unrest in yours."

I shook my head and held up a hoof, stopping him there. "I'm sorry Supreme Commander but we would not need or ever want such things, I can understand why your nation needs to keep peace but Equestria is naturally peaceful and those would cause great protest."

He bit his lip and shrugged and apologised "I meant no offence but maybe you could think them over?" I shook my head and replied; "You'd have to tell my sister, I don't really deal with that kind of thing."

He nodded his head as if in understanding. "Is it because your sister banished you to the moon for millennia that she doesn't let you keep power or maybe it is because you don't really want it yourself and are too scared?" he said accusingly, yet so very plainly as if he was commenting on the weather.

Insulted I stepped back and stammered "Excuse me!" To which he replied casually "Well your sister makes the decisions, signs the papers and rules the land and is loved by all. You don't do anything seen by the people and nobody really knows you, am I right? I'm just saying that since you have a crown you could at least do something to be more noticed because right now you are kind of like a mascot to your nation."

Not being able to take any more of this I hit him straight in the face with a right hoof, feeling and hearing the audible clunk that felt really good. It was not because he was lying but because he was telling the truth that I had to simply hit him, but very rudely for that matter was he telling it and he deserved it.

The decision to hit him had been spontaneous and not well planned though as with a grunt he was knocked backward and tumbled off the balcony into the black darkness of my night below. "Oh Celestia" I said crestfallen before diving after him.


	5. Looking to the Horizon

**Looking to the Horizon**

I'd enjoyed talking to her. Some of the topics she broached where very dangerous in my opinion and I didn't like answering them but to find out about her was worth it.

She was indeed an astounding mare and had indeed a dark past. As dark as mine if you didn't include the blood spilled for and by me in between it all. Being put on the moon for so long though was harsh; I could see why she was bitter towards her sister.

Trapped by the one she loved, surrounded in darkness and despair with only herself for company for a thousand years was a really cruel punishment, despite how she'd turned evil and tried to block the sun from rising again.

It appears that demons are in everypony, no matter which universe and no matter what time they will always haunt you. I shuddered when I thought about my nightmares and tried not to think what a Nightmare Moon would look like.

I had been trying to move to a lighter form of topic and pushed to talk instead about nations and may have me roomed how Equestria could be improved tenfold.

Unfortunately this led to the topic of Luna's lack of will to take charge of her own life, to which I was promptly punched right in the face by the Princess.

Up until then it had been fun but now it was not so much as I was falling from the tallest tower in Canterlot, the great leader of the U.R.S.P falling to his death, killed by his own stupidity when insulting a royal who had a history of hitting him in the face.

I wasn't knocked out either so I had a lovely, half blurred and dark view of the castle battlements and towers as the ground likely rushed up to say hello to The Red Smear.

A flash of blue however and suddenly I was lying on the ground with somepony muttering over me. I blinked and my vision and hearing began to return, showing Luna was there and indeed muttering something like "Please be ok" and also "I'm so sorry."

I was touched that the crazy mare who'd punched me off a castle cared so much about and would have said "It's ok" but in reality I said something a little different that might have been a bit too colourful for the Princess to handle.

Of course she didn't take kindly to this but instead of hitting me in the face again she burst into tears and ran off,

"Why is it that whenever mares do something wrong they cry and it is automatically your fault?" I asked myself and stood up shakily and looked around. I was in the castle gardens and different to my world there were animals here and for one plants since I'd turned this into a small training yard centuries ago in my world.

I was sore but I felt that I should find Princess Luna and apologise for calling her those things... then accuse her of trying to murder me, guest or not. So without further ado I set out on my quest to find the Princess who had run off to probably get the guards to arrest me for insulting her in such fashion.

It wasn't a long or an arduous quest since I found her immediately in the Royal Dining hall, crying into the table her head was dug into. Nopony else was around though I was sure that guards would usually be here so I assumed that she'd told them to get out or something.

I crept up to her slowly, not sure how to really apologise to mares since the last time I'd said sorry was... well it was a really, really long time ago anyway.

"Princess Luna, I know you probably think that I'm a bit of a bastard right now but in my defence you punched me off the tallest tower in the castle and could have killed me. Which is no excuse for calling you those things and also may I say you are not any of those things" I apologised, turning redder than my coat until I was probably verging on purple.

She stopped her crying and looked up all red eyes and watery face. "I don't care what you call me I just can't believe that I did it again" she said angry at herself probably for nearly killing me. It was fair enough since I'd also be angry at myself for nearly killing me.

"Hey look, last time you hit me I deserved it so this time I definitely know I deserved it" I shrugged, pretending it was no big deal as I felt my eye begin to swell in pain.

Princess Luna shook her head however and explained "I shouldn't hit ponies it is not the way of a royal to harm her citizens and even worse you are my guest. But this time I had no reason to hit you because you see... You were right!" and with that another eruption of tears and guilt followed.

"I cannot believe this. A Princess crying because she cannot lead her people and also she cares more about that then almost killing me" I thought to myself as I sighed and took a seat.

"Look your highness you are wise and logical but more than that you are sensible, far different to your sister who is although wise is far too kind and gullible to rule a nation in my opinion."

Luna shook her head. "No she isn't, she is loved by everypony and admired by other lands for her successes and ways of dealing with things in a calm manner. Even when we were both of equal stature she was loved more and now she is viewed as a deity to some and then me, the pardoned monster that happens to be related to her isn't even viewed as a ruler but a mascot… like you said."

I could see that she was obviously a bit down and although I wasn't very good at consoling crying mares as I usually resigned from being near any and didn't care I decided as she was pretty much the closest thing I had to an ally that I would console her. I did this of course with one of my good old fashioned pep talks.

"Your sister is great, I agree. I can smell the raw power coming from her and everypony seems to hold her in high esteem, including her. You told me of your titles when I arrived, how you and her united the lands and stopped somepony or other. Well why do you despair when you have done all those things? Everypony may have forgotten the good you have done because something bad happened but that doesn't mean it isn't still there. You are a strong, noble and sensible leader but right now that doesn't matter because you lack self confidence in yourself. Leaders are never found crying into the table all mopey and sorry for themselves and if they are then they don't deserve the title. Now get up and rule the land you were born to for the love of Lemming!" I shouted encouragingly, giving her a hearty slap on the back.

She winced and sniffed once and slowly untangled herself from her seated position at the table, not as enthusiastic as I would have liked but at least the water works had been shut off for the time being. "You are very kind Supreme Commander" she swallowed, choking a little. "Now how long it has since somepony has genuinely called me that?" I asked myself whilst she continued "I have been away for a thousand years and ruling has changed. Paperwork involves everything now, ponies require every little detail sorted and I wouldn't know where to start if I were to ask my sister for help."

I shook my head and chuckled, getting ready to walk out of this dingy hallway. "Do you know where the scribes' quarters are?" I asked and she nodded and I motioned for her to lead the way. "Ruling is simple really and has always the same structure. Your sister reads and signs many documents yes but if I ruled that way then I would be trapped behind a practical barracks of paperwork" I explained as we walked.

She looked quizzically at me and asked "I thought you said you lead and not rule." I was able to ignore her and carried on by explaining "Decision making is important but you think of the big picture alone, leave smaller things to other ponies. For example I don't read every report on the military budget or balance the books, the Commander of the Supply and Distribution Network does that and gives me the general need to knows of it at the end of the week or sooner if something important happens that needs to be brought to my attention."

Luna nodded her head in new, enthused understanding and asked "So I don't have to decide on the small things leaving it to others to decide. How do I know they'll decide right?" to which I replied "It doesn't always work so you must choose your ministers and such carefully and if they fail fire them swiftly."

We arrived at two large side doors where two darkly clad ponies with spears were standing guard. They were very different to the standard guards I'd only seen but what was amazing was there cat eyes and bat like wings where there normal feathery wings should be. "What are they?" I asked, a little in awe.

Princess Luna smiled weakly and explained "Oh they are just my personal guard; there aren't many of them since the night guard isn't popular but they are like the day guard only in my opinion much more intimidating and loyal. "I wasn't sure where any loyalties in the fairly weak guard I'd seen lay but these guards sure did look intimidating, well they didn't have any Uniforms but they were still fairly threatening.

"These are the scribe quarters; however we shouldn't go in as they are all likely sleeping…" I cut the Princess off by barging through the doors and strutting my ways down the hallway with the rooms that names each scribe and their positions within the castle until I reached the head scribe. I burst through the door without knocking, Luna following behind me and saw the head scribe wake up, a middle aged stallion with a horrible yellow coat that looked terrified and in great alarm.

"What's happening? Where am I?" he asked as I switched on the light and quickly asked "You are head Scribe yes? This means you are in charge of recruiting new scribes to the castle yes!?" He hid under the sheets and nodded quickly and I continued "You will organize housing for Night scribes and furthermore select candidates for a Head Night Scribe that you will give to Princess Luna here by the end of this week!" I ordered and all he seemed to do was nod faster as he tried to bury himself further into his bed sheets.

"Now that we have settled that we bid you goodnight" I said politely and bowed, leaving the scribes room with Luna in tow with either an expression of awe or shock on her face. In the end I believed that it was a bit of both as she stammered "How d-did you do that? I mean y-you woke the whole castle up probably with that voice of yours yet it was not like the Canterlot voice at all, it was equally powerful though and he listened!" she exclaimed as if this was all a new revelation.

When we got outside the dormitories to where the night guard were, still looking ahead I replied "It is called taking control, having confidence in yourself as a ruler. Tomorrow he will come with those candidates and you will pick one to work as the Head Night scribe under you and then you can get to rule the ins and outs of Equestria. Start slow but pick up speed, hire more scribes and such but just make sure that no matter what you do you have confidence all the way and you don't cry in front of your subjects."

She wasn't getting teary thankfully and instead seemed to have gained a little backbone, literally holding herself with more esteem than she had before. "You are absolutely right, the way you just showed me. That is how I would like to rule, just like that with command."

I smiled but then thought of what she'd said. "I would like to rule just like you" after all that I myself had done little for my people, murdering and sending them to the slaughter to die. I would not have that repeated here but I didn't want to shatter Luna's confidence and replied "Remember that although it is good to be forward, maybe a little Princess grace is required. In my land I am not known for being a fairly uh… patient pony so maybe if you temper command with patience it would be a good start."

She nodded and smiled "You're right as always it seems. Tell me how was it that you discovered this way of using others to make decisions for you?" I know she didn't say it in any way that was meant to be an insult but I was quite offended that she thought I was incapable of making decision, but then maybe I'd heard wrong.

At that moment however my eye flared up in a small wave of pain and I cringed, putting my hoof to it and holding the tender area around it. Princess Luna frowned and began to trot away, telling me "Allow me to get some ice for that Supreme Commander and I will meet you in the gardens in a few minutes."

She trotted off with a newfound confidence which hopefully meant that she would no longer hit me in the future. I headed off towards the gardens and thought about what had transpired. I would not normally forgive something like being hit but she'd tried to kill me. I knew that in my heart had I been in my world I would have ordered a violent and very public execution to whoever would have hit me and the exile of all relatives and friends to the pony who'd done the crime.

"Perhaps being here is a good lesson for both Luna and me. A lesson in confidence for Luna and a lesson in mercy for me" I thought as I trotted half blind to the gardens. They were quite large and could accommodate many parties most likely however they were empty at the moment, not even animals calling out from within them.

I remembered the castle guard drilling here in my world from dawn to dusk in shifts. I remember in the beginning there had been a large last stand in the drill grounds that had been the gardens back in the revolution and now in my world it was nothing but compacted, blackened Earth the guards trained in.

They had no real loyalty to me except my personal guard that I would call more fanaticism than instilled loyalty from heroic events. I had no doubt that many of them and my commanders and ministers saw me as the incarnation of evil. But then they worked for me and were no better off. If I didn't get back soon though I feared that they would use my leave as a way to pick apart my reign and instil their own and this may even lead to civil war again.

"Once more I really must apologise for what I've done to hurt you it was highly dis-respectful of me but hopefully you will forgive me" Luna came from behind with a bad of ice and a sorry expression on her face though she seemed to remain straight and to the point and not mopey at all.

"Already forgiven Princess, please we shall not talk of this no more" I said whilst levitating the ice to my eye and keeping it there. "It is amazing how ice is so readily available to all now. In my thousand years trip I could never have dreamed to returning to such a different Equestria. Does your world have these things called Cinema for example?"

I smiled and nodded, the ice helping the swelling around my eye. "Oh yes it has. Though it is quite grainy and only captures in three colours, red, black and white." Princess Luna grinned as she explained "Ours capture it in colour and there's more. We have this amazing contraption that can play music without needing an orchestra!"

"Ah yes the Phonogram" I said, remembering the contraption built about two hundred years ago that I had viewed with great interest and with further development made into the speakerphone to play pre-recorded messages to the people around the clock. She kept on saying how wonderful all the music of Equestria was and I felt a little guilty for my homeland having nothing to listen to but choral ballads and symphonies praising the revolution.

"Out worlds are indeed similar. Perhaps there will be a way that we can make this portal easily accessible and then maybe I can pay a visit to Equestria?" I asked. Princess Luna nodded enthusiastically, taking to the idea straight away. "That is inspired! Maybe my sister and I could visit the United… place where you live." She failed, forgetting the name of my country.

"That's the United Republic of Soviet Ponies. Also no, I do not believe that would be such a good idea" I said solemnly. Luna looked a little crestfallen and asked "Why can I not be permitted to see your land? Is it because my Royal blood might stain it if my sister and I walked there?"

I shook my head. "I'd never allow harm to come to you if you were in my world. But believe me things are different there. Ponies are more callous and cold and the love and harmony that your world possesses is not there. Trust me, it would probably be best that we both remain in our own territories" I said, hopefully putting an end to the thought.

It would have actually been nice for Luna and her sister to come visit me but I feared what other ponies would think of me and in turn what Luna and Celestia would think of my world. My cold, so very cold world that I had created and ruled by using the fear. That was when I decided that no matter what they could never find out the truth of my land.

I directed conversation to some other topic and Luna and I once more began to talk freely. Laughing at some points and comparing our worlds once more. They had striking resemblances despite all my depressing comparisons of the attitudes. We talked so long that we didn't realise that it was getting early until I began to yawn.

"It is getting pretty early, I will have to get back to the tower and lower the moon" Luna said, almost sad to have to leave. I however was too tired to be sad and wanted to sleep the pain my eye still exhibited away. I didn't need a mirror to see it but it was obviously pretty black.

"Well then I guess this is goodnight Princess Luna" I said, bowing my head formally and preparing to trot back to my temporary quarters. Princess Luna shook her head and insisted "Please do call me Luna. Actually I don't know if you would like to remain formal but what is your name?"

Alarm bells began ringing and I shook my head, quickly stating "You don't have to know my name!" Luna was a little hurt but pressed "Come on I'm sure many ponies know your name? Well then what do your friends call you?" I said nothing and my face remained stone rigid and uncooperative.

Princess Luna shrugged and replied "Fine then Supreme Commander I will continue to call you by your rank" and with that she walked away, a little bitter that I didn't seem to trust her. I bit my tongue and tried to hold back a response to that as I really had nothing to go on.

I sighed after a moment however and before she disappeared behind the corner and back into the castle I yelled "My name is Dark Horizon" before hitting myself mentally with a hundred mental cinderblocks. She smiled but didn't turn around and called back "Nice to meet you Horizon" before sauntering off coolly.

"I made a rule to not tell anypony my name before I even decided to take up revolution and now you've spoiled it!" I yelled at myself in my mind. I had promised to never tell anypony that name. To let the name die with age and hopefully one day forget that the name had even existed to erase it from memory with time but now I hadn't just thought about it but brought it up, used it like it was normal.

"I need to get out of Equestria and fast" I said, striding off back to my room to get some sleep, annoyed with myself and incredibly sad at the same time.


	6. Shameful

**Shameful**

"I wondered why he had been so reluctant to tell me his name. The fact that he had though pleased me since it meant we were probably on friendly terms even after all I'd done to hurt him physically. He was so kind with his encouraging speech I felt that anything could be done now with just my sheer will.

I was also happy with his description of how to handle paperwork, maybe if I assigned some scribes to handle certain areas of paperwork traffic into the castle then Tia wouldn't be so busy and could free up some of her time to spend with her dear sister who had nothing better to do.

Of course she was always busy and would probably find something else to do instead to pass the time but I still quite liked the idea of getting back into the game of ruling and who knows, maybe someday somepony would begin to admire me again. But until then I supposed I had some work to do with everything else, firstly Dark Horizon then later I could help myself.

I'd read up on the laws and new politics in the new Equestria and although complex they were only made so by the amount of red tape that I could have apparently bypassed easily enough and my sister could have as well centuries ago. I felt it amazing we hadn't worked this out sooner but supposed we'd both been busy with our own things to care about implementing a new system, especially since this system though stressful worked for my sister and also it being hard to do that as a dark entity stuck on the moon on my part.

I would have gone to tell my sister the marvellous news since the sun was about to come up in a minute but I wanted it to be a surprise. So I got to the tower and lowered my moon, waiting for the sun to rise and my sister to arrive.

The sun did indeed rise and my sister, walking up the steps of the observation tower with her magic glowing treated it as nothing at all. The made me jealous once more, her being more powerful as Dark Horizon said "I can smell the raw power from her" and you really could, it was electrifying and jealousy inducing.

"It doesn't matter though, she has a bigger celestial body to move so it's cool" I told myself as she smiled and arrived to the tower with a refreshed and well slept face that she always had.

"It is nice to see that my sister is socialising" she grinned, embracing me as the sun set into the top of the sky and bathed the land in a warm and breath-taking glow. I smiled and nodded "Yes the Supreme Commander and I have been talking for most of the night about various matters relative to his land and ours. I believe that some of his methods could even be applied to out world."

Celestia looked passively at me and asked "You seem to be developing into a friendship with a pony that if you remember killed the monarchs of his Equestria." At first I took it for a bad joke but it was quite obviously not one when she didn't smile, choosing to remain with that annoyingly calm look.

"Are you worried he will chop my head off dear sister?" I asked sarcastically and she shook her head, replying "I am not sure what to think. Talking with him I can see that he has very strong views towards the way we rule our land. For now he is complying but now he is alone. We all know this gateway exists now so why would it be an unimaginable thought if he wished to return here with an army when he goes back?"

I barred my teeth and shook my head furiously "He would do no such thing. His world has suffered greatly, and he greater than you could possibly imagine. Of course he has strong views but he would never think about returning with an army to annex Equestria, I mean we are a completely different universe, what interest would he have in us?"

My sister frowned and explained "We are rich sister. We have bits, resources and workers so why would it be such a radical thought to think that he wouldn't return with an army to take them, to enslave them. He knows he could do it easily enough and look what he gains, we may not be powerful enough to stop him if he did this and think of what he would do if he gained the throne."

I went very red and got really angry and yelled "Damn it Tia he wouldn't do that and they aren't his ponies they simply follow him because he is a great leader! He wasn't born with a crown or made ponies follow him he gained their trust by winning a war on their behalf!"

Celestia looked sceptical and grunted "He would have you think that dear sister, but nopony could have the amount of medals on his chest despite how long he's lived. He is ruthless, his people have suffered greatly I believe yes but how much of the suffering has he actually caused?"

I turned, shocked and demanded "How did you know that he was immortal?" To which Celestia replied "Isn't it obvious? He has something, something I don't understand within him that has twisted him to follow the path of an immortal. The fact he must have done this willingly sickens me but you can see it in his eyes this... thing it is something we have never seen before, I beg of you Lulu to keep your distance and not get too friendly with him."

I snarled and spat "Is that an order Celestia?" It was her turn to look angry now and she followed up with "Maybe it is Luna, maybe you should listen to the counsel of your big sister for once." If I bared my teeth any harder I feared I might break them so I yelled "You are a selfish and fat headed ruler of a sister and so hyped up on your success that you are afraid of a breeze knocking you off your perch!"

My sister stepped back, visibly shocked and hurt but I was too angry to care so I said dismissively "I'm going to bed now and will probably not see you when you're damned sun sets!" I began to storm off when the ringing sound of my sister declaring "That anger doesn't suit you sister you should control it, you might hit somepony someday!" following me to the steps.

I turned back but my sister was already looking away with furious features that showed her disappointment in me but all my features showed was anger with a mix of guilt that felt wrong.

I didn't agree with her but none the less that didn't mean I should've shouted at her and now I was on bad terms with my sister once more after a year of little to no squabbles. Still that didn't mean I was any less mad at her attitude towards the Supreme Commander.

I stormed into my room but was surprised to find it occupied by two sciencey looking ponies who declared that they were preparing for Twilight's arrival and setting up all manner of contraptions and cameras to study the simple pillar with the chip in it.

I sighed in frustration and resigned myself to the bed chambers a few hallways down. If anything was good about living in a castle it was the endless amount of space that was available in it.

I yawned and prepared to get to bed just as everypony else was waking up and mentally preparing themselves for a long day of work and fun and activities that they did everyday but never got tired of.

I for one was tired and the argument with my sister hadn't helped. I took off my crown and other decorations and nestled down to sleep. I briefly wondered what I would look like in one of those dashing yet silly Uniforms the Supreme Commander wore before I fell asleep and entered the land of dreams.

This was not like my usual dreams however as I felt myself stuck in one position as a dark grey and blurry Image materialised. It showed a grey picture of the castle, all colour sucked out of it apart from the red banners that aligned the windows of the palace with the Supreme COmmander's cutie mark up in the corner of the banners.

Many parts were boarded up with bolted metal almost like it had been turned into a fortress with what looked like strange metallic things along the battlements that reminded me of enlarged versions of the firearm the commander had shown me and resembled in a way the cannon.

"I must be dreaming for real about what the commanders world would look like" I thought but then the scene changed and I was standing in a muddy and dark training yard that was covered in mud where the gardens would have been in my Equestria. It was raining and to my confusion the rain was making the ground turn red. In fact the entire castle was turning red and soon it was nothing but red that clouded my vision.

The scene changed again and swirled into a new area that looked like the Royal Throne Room only the throne had been replaced by a huge oak desk and red banners lined the walls. "Well at least he likes decoration, even is it's only the color red" I thought as I looked around until I saw the doorway to the balcony where it seemed the Supreme Commander was standing, his hooves placed firmly on the marble bannister of the balcony as he overlooked his people or well the people that followed him.

I tried to move and was able to move up to just behind him. Something was set up in the centre of the crowds but before I could see the scene changed again and a door flashed before my eyes before it was gone and I awoke, my eyes flickering open.

"What in the name of my sister was that!?" I asked myself as I shook my head. It was still quite light but I must have slept a good few hours. "How strange that was, and also very red" I thought as I sat up in bed and rubbed my eyes.

Now that I was up though it wouldn't hurt to pay the supreme commander a visit in his dreams since he was probably sleeping like I had been. It also wouldn't hurt to see Twilight Sparkle and get her verdict on when I could get my bedroom back if ever.

So I got ready and sat down, going deep into the realm of dreams and imagination, a place my sister had never been able to go to. However when I did it I was totally oblivious to the outside world and my sister once pointed out I looked a little like a vegetable when I did it.

Not many ponies were dreaming at this time in the day of course except little colts fallen asleep in class at school, workers fallen asleep on the job and even a guard or two about to finish their shifts dozing off and thinking of home.

The Supreme Commanders dreams seemed to be fairly elusive since I couldn't find them at all. It could be hard some nights to find a specific dream thanks to the volume of ponies dreaming but right now his dream simply wasn't there. "Perhaps he is not dreaming?" I thought but then he didn't seem to be asleep either since I could feel roughly if the pony I was looking for was asleep or not.

"It would do no harm to go and check on him then" I thought and so after reviving myself from the dream world and setting off into the real one.

I strolled off down the hallways until I made my way past my room. Twilight was indeed inside it and I expected Dark Horizon as well but it seemed he wasn't there and must be up in his room, perhaps pondering his current situation some more.

Princess Twilight was there though and she bowed saying "Hello Princess Luna, it is wonderful to see you" to which I replied "Thank you Twilight please though, don't bow in the future. You are a Princess as well you know.

Twilight ignored the command and probably knew she could actually ignore orders like that whenever she could now as she explained "This is fascinating. I've been here a few hours and I've almost finished the first study of the site of the portal where this strange pony came from."

I smiled; Twilight was a fascinating but very nerdy and studious pony. My sister had certainly taught her well in her time as her teacher and she was showing some traits from my sister already.

"What news do you have Twilight?" I asked, wondering how long it would take to return him to the realm he came from and for me to get my room back.

Twilight bobbed her head left and right. "The good news is that we can return this, supreme commander to his home world for sure." I thought this was very good news but then there must be bad news so I asked "What's the bad news?"

Twilight paced back and forth and explained "Like with the magical mirror I went through the portal had a time window of how long it was open and how long it was closed. I used electrical, field pulses coupled with quantum entanglement magical energy spells to send a ping to the other end of the gateway and then using this machine here" she pointed to some great bloody machine I had no idea about or ever would and carried on "Which decoded the signals and then by applying some equations" she pointed to a few chalk boards set behind the machine, propped up by my bed "I was able to determine that the portal will not be able to open again for another six months and that's at best, I am not sure with this portal as it is giving some fairly violent reactions to the tests I'm doing."

I smiled and pretended to understand what she'd just said when I'd really only understood her saying "six months." "Well at least he can get back. He won't like this at all though" I thought and asked "Have you seen him?" but Twilight shook her head.

"Princess Celestia gave me a few details about him but no, I would like to study him actually but the Princess said it best I leave him be for now, I do not know why?" She asked puzzled and I rolled my eyes at the pony's curiosity and nodded in agreement.

"Well anyway I must return to work Princess, finding the right activation formula could take forever so I am going to try to supplement it with a spell, I need to test how it reacts with magic though so if any alarm bells ring I may have started a fire in your room."

I really wished Twilight was joking but it was her insane friend Pinkie Pie's job to do that. "Just be careful" I said and then bid her farewell and she the same to me.

I pondered on what had just transpired. Not only did I not know anything about science but it seemed language had gotten more complex and silly whilst I was away. Then I thought about how long it would take him to get back to his world and how upset he'd be.

"Maybe I should just tell him" I thought sourly, I'd told him he'd likely be back by the end of the week and now he had to wait half a year. I sighed and trotted on until I came to his room.

I knocked and asked if I could come in and I heard a bang and a curse and a rattle and he opened the door hurriedly. "Yes?" He said but when seeing it was me nearly fell over.

I got suspicious and pushed the door open to see the carpet had been turned upside down. I flipped it up with my magic and saw a huge red stain I thought a first to be blood but upon further inspection was really wine.

I looked at him and he looked down in somewhat shame as he levitated the bottle of expensive wine he'd gotten from probably the kitchen's cellar and set it down on a dresser nearby. "I am sorry Princess" he said shamefully.

I didn't know what he had to be sorry for and replied "So you took some wine, it is no big deal really, also we have about two hundred of those rugs so don't worry about that either. I shrugged as it wasn't really a big deal.

He shook his head and sat back on his haunches, eyes low and face practically touching the floor. "No Princess it is not right the fact I took wine from your cellars or drank it, it is disrespectful. I just don't sleep very well you see and it helps" he explained like a colt confessing to his crimes.

I didn't really understand how wine would help him get to bed but then he was just so confusing. "There is no reason to apologise but really, why drink so early in the day if you couldn't sleep?" I asked. "He sighed sadly and replied "I just like to drink a little in order to stop the stress and let me sleep" he replied, trying but failing to hide his shame some more behind his crumbling stature.

"There are remedies that can aid you in falling asleep you know" I told him but he shook his head and explained "None of them work like alcohol does for me; this helps me get to sleep I swear."

I pondered this and asked "Do you have trouble sleeping?" He didn't answer immediately, as if he were considering a lie would be better than the truth before he swallowed and explained "I am... quite stressed in my work, although I don't have to sign papers as much I need to do other things in terms of military campaign and this helps me get I all out of my head. It is a nasty habit and it will not happen again."

I didn't find that answer particularly satisfying and felt it the easy way out but decided not to question him since he seemed genuinely embarrassed about it all. "It is ok, just try and not lose your common sense, my sister seems to view you with suspicion so don't prove her right."

He looked up suddenly interested and asked "What does she think I am a danger to you both or to castle staff?" I shook my head and explained "She believes that you would take an army through the portal and conquer Equestria for our resources.

He burst into laughter and shook his head violently, saying through a choked voice "That is a good one but when I get home I am going to honour this world with a huge statue of you and your sister."

I almost smiled but then my face dropped as I remembered why I was here and sat back on my haunches with a sigh. "There is a reason why I have come to see you" I told him and he attentively nodded and asked "Was it my good looks?"

I couldn't smile when I told him "Regretfully Supreme Commander you will have to wait here longer than a week to go home."

He looked ahead, staring into the floor for a while before he asked "How long?" In a flat tone that was devoid of all emotion, which was not surprising as that accent was fairly deep and suited to this tone.

I cringed and answered "Six months" and instantly it was as if everypony in the castle was holding their breaths, even the birds were silent and the sun seemed to dim behind a cloud, bathing the room in grey.

He picked up the half full bottle of red wine with his magic and tilted it too and fro before he took a long gulp and breathed out in frustration. "I uh... would like to be alone right now Princess. There are some things I would like to think about."

He seemed sad, not at all like he was a few minutes ago despite being ashamed about being a bit of an alcoholic so now he was ashamed and sad and it was all because of me. Of course it wasn't my fault but I had told him that he was basically stuck here for a while and what was he supposed to react like he was glad?

"Please, the castle is your own, order anything you want and the staff will bring it to you, if you need anything else then ask me or my sister. If you have questions regarding your way home talk to Twilight, although I expect she will want to meet you in the next few days" I said, trying to cheer him up but visibly failing as he looked away dis-interested.

He took another swig and literally nestled down on the floor where he was. "Yeah sure" he said before he lay back and began to stare up at the ceiling in an uninterested way with anything, not even his drink.

I backed out of the room and closed the door with a sad expression. "It'd not been my fault" I told myself but I couldn't help but feel guilty for his current predicament in some way.

So I began my sad walk back to bed, not feeling any better than when I woke up and having made somepony else's life miserable besides having the fun argument with my sister that would probably get worse the longer the Supreme Commander stayed.

"If only it were easy" I thought with a long sigh.


	7. Knowledge is Power

**Knowledge is Power**

The words kept echoing around in my head long after the Princess had left. "Six entire months" she had said and like that my world had shattered.

There was no way that anything would ever be the same again. My Advisers and my Generals may have been afraid of me but they weren't stupid, they would search vainly for a few days and maybe a week and then they would begin to talk and squabble and before you knew it they would turn on each other, raising their own banners in attempt to take the capital and be top dog of my nation, the ponies nation.

I knew that this was inevitable. All feared me and my power but what would happen when I returned? Would I find a half destroyed castle and a country in ruin? Would I find somepony else sitting at my desk with the star of the Supreme Commander on his or her chest? Or worse would I find that everything was fine and that I had to go back to the same damned routine as before and be the ruthless leader I was expected to be.

I hated this place and I hated its people but most of all I hated Princess Luna because all of them were making me have fun. I hadn't had such interesting conversations in centuries, neither had I ever been treated as an equal in so long nor had to face the emotions of shame or feel genuine laughter come to me like I had with her.

Only anger clouded my vision before, anger and despair but here the despair was suppressed by the fact they were working so hard for a way to get me home and that was why my anger was directed towards them for doing just that.

"They are against everything I have ever stood and will ever stand for!" I exclaimed aloud as I paced the room. The wine had been finished long ago but then the Princess had offered me the castle's services and now I needed a drink so I got another bottle.

It wasn't particularly great and they had nothing stronger to drink since wine was the drink of royals and capitalists and I only drank it at meetings and on the three much spaced holidays the country had every year to celebrate my birthday, the day of the revolution and the day our nation was founded.

"Damn it all!" I yelled as I finished the bottle I'd been wasting away on and let it go, watching it roll across the floor and come to rest by my bed. I should have never been so stupid" I thought, since my troubles started when I got mopey about myself and fell into that damn secret passage that the Royals had been building for Lemming knows what.

"I can barely stand two days without getting punched in the face, how will I last six entire months in a world that tolerates me because of their ignorance to my past" I thought and began to get angry once more.

"All these feelings are too hard for me to bear" I sighed, staggering to my hooves and trotting in an uncoordinated pattern towards the door out of my room and out and down the halls of the grand palace.

I passed guards that stared at me as I went. Unmoving from their stations but their eyes following me, showing distrust and resentment towards me. "I could take you all on even without magic!" I thought to myself as I staggered away from them all.

It was a bright and hot sunny day as I made my way to the throne room where the Princess was apparently having council with a bunch of aristocrats that were dressed as aristocrats always were in there fine suits and bizarre dresses for the mares that were just there to be seen next to the stallions.

"What a bunch, no wonder I exiled them all!" I thought, and considering what I did to all the Royals and their retainers that was merciful although many nobles had died in the storming of Canterlot.

I knew I'd make a scene if I stayed any longer so I moved to the gardens, trying not to hit any pillars as I trotted blindly along, following memory of my home that was quite accurate even to this day and universe.

Outside the beauty of the gardens that didn't exist in my world was fouled by the presence of more aristocrats mixed in with capitalists, their obvious differences showing in how they held themselves differently from the aristocracy, the way they looked to exploit anypony for money with their beady little eyes and the way they dressed in their more expensive suits and dresses to show that they were wealthier than many of the ponies of better title than them.

A waiter coughed from behind me and asked "Would sir like something?" He was a normal Earth Pony with a yellow coat and a brown pencil thin moustached that was made more visible by how his oily hair was combed back to look smart.

I put a hoof around his shoulder and leaned on him, ruffling his waiter uniform and waving with my other hoof over the grounds of the gardens. "Yo-You see all of them? Vultures, d-d-dogs the lot of them! All they fear is yo-you and what Ponyism represents through you. The workers of Equestria!" I declared through slightly slurred speech, prodding his chest as I stumbled away.

He seemed a little unpleased that I was crumpling his precious uniform but asked obediently once more "Would sir like something?" to which I replied "The st-strongest drink you have a-and in great excess. Make that double the excess just g-get some and I w-will make you Secretary of th-the Finance Committee."

He returned and must have got me something stronger because everything got very fuzzy from that point onwards and all I remember was stumbling out of the gatehouse and down into the city of Canterlot.

Something else obviously happened although what it was I couldn't tell but it involved at least four mules, a large explosion somewhere and for a moment what looked like a flying train and suddenly I was awake and coughing with a dry throat.

I coughed some more, quite loudly, well more like I hacked loudly as my throat was as dry as a desert and sounded like a chainsaw and sat up from the cold, hard concrete where I had been lying. I was in the middle of a back alley and it was dark, the moon had already risen and the world was now asleep except for a few ponies that worked night shift.

At least I thought it was asleep as I heard a lot of noise and disturbance that shattered the night coming from the North of where I was. Thankfully I was so used to drinking that hangovers were not really a concern anymore but then I was not immune to forgetting what I had done in the drunken bouts I had usually been able to contain in my bed chambers in my castle.

I scratched my head and got up, sore all over and cracking my bones. "Well I've slept in rougher places" I thought as I looked at where I slept and decided that the best course of action was to head towards the noise I'd heard before that I probably had something to do with.

I trotted to what appeared to be the train station of Canterlot, similar to the station in my time but with less rails and the train looked quite ridiculous if not cute. However the train seemed to be good ten metres off the rails and lodged firmly in what might once have been a bakery by the station that had caught fire and burnt down. Four mules were arguing with some guards outside and it looked like the guards weren't doing very well.

I was grabbed by the shoulder from behind suddenly as a guard, different to the usual colour schemes of the others with an orange coat and blue hair with a thunderbolt for the silly cutie marks this world had looked sternly at my slatted eyes.

He was clearly an officer by his differing uniform and he spoke like one as he asked me "You are The Supreme Commander of the U.R.S.P correct?" I looked at the mess I'd made and down at my filthy Uniform that was covered in the grime and mess of a drunken bout of unrepressed magic and replied "I don't know what would give you that idea but yes I am. Is there some kind of problem officer?"

He looked at me and then at the wreckage and tried not to scowl and keep his stern face, failing and replying "You are requested to return to the castle with me immediately and to not destroy any more of the city of Canterlot under punishment of imprisonment."

I nodded my head. I wasn't in the mood to argue now or shout at him, besides I was sore and guessing that the Princess's didn't really appreciate me wrecking the Capital. "Well I know I wouldn't tolerate it in my world" I thought and waved on saying "Lead the way guard" to which he did, although with a disgruntled look on his face at being given orders by the likes of me.

Walking away from the site of the wreckage I could see that the rest of Equestria was about asleep by now, nopony staying up this late and if so then to do the night shift of their jobs that didn't seem like much. It was peaceful and I was glad I had only destroyed one train and not something bigger that might have hurt somepony.

Princess Luna was there when I arrived at the castle gates, atop the guard post and she flew down with a look on her face that looked like she was ready to dish out another slap or maybe a kick this time but then she seemed more controlled this time but even more angry and yelled "When I said help yourself to whatever you wish that didn't give you free reign to do whatever you wanted and destroy the train station!"

I shrugged as the guard who'd escorted me stood back and replied "Well I know that it was disrespectful of me and all but I really couldn't care less about your land Princess. I'm in charge of a completely different world that needs me as much as I need it right now so I thought you could expect me to let off a little steam since I am just a pony after all and not some special hybrid Unicorn, Alicorn thing."

She scowled with the angry look on her face intensifying as she spat "Real leaders don't get drunk and destroy their cities or the cities of others when they've been given bad news! You told me that I should stay strong and act like a leader the other day and that was some of the best words I've heard for a while. You need your people sure and they need you but destroying Canterlot and causing distress is not going to help! My sister almost made the Wonderbolts bring you in the hard way for fear you'd hurt somepony or worse so believe me you are lucky that she had to go to bed or face exhaustion tomorrow."

The words hurt a little, especially how she had practically called me a drunkard but then again she was right. "I am sorry" was all I could really say at that point but that of course didn't cut it and she shook her head, declaring "Flash Sentry, I realise you do not take Night Shift but you are to pass the word around that the Supreme Commander is not allowed to demand things of the staff as before and will be restricted from the kitchens and armoury from now on."

He saluted and went on to do as he was told but this made me angry since although I had done wrong this punishment sounded a little harsh to my only just awoken mind. "Ok I destroyed a train and might have knocked down a building that exploded but there's no reason to be so harsh huh? I mean come on its six entire months! I can see you pony's don't drink an awful lot but where I come from alcohol is drunken by all" I complained.

Princess Luna looked down and listed explained "That was one of the last things you actually did! Besides that you ruined three weddings, stole a set of antique armour, insulted a mare's foal by calling it fat and then flooded the Canterlot public library by blasting a hole through to the sewers with your magic!"

I scratched my head in a confused fashion. "You know it seems that I have done much worse… well I guess I'm sorry for that as well." Princess Luna didn't look happy at all at my apology and I tried to say something but all that came out was a dry cough.

"I have a night to watch over, ponies need my help in their dreams, and if I can't help my citizens by day then I'll help them by night" Princess Luna said, strutting away in anger with her head held high and not looking at me.

I sat back on my haunches and tried to think how I could correct this situation and make everything better. Another guard was staring at me from atop the castle gate I was under and it seemed strange how he looked at me, his eyes hinting something.

Suddenly he exploded or something and bright confetti fell all around as I stumbled back a few steps, shocked at what had just happened. "Surprise!" said the most strange and misshapen creature I had ever seen that popped up in front of me.

He was a mix and match of animal parts and colours and had a large amount of chaos magic within him though how much was unknown. Parts of a goat, a lion, a griffon, a pony and only Lemming knows were what made him up into a very miss-matched being with two very big, yellow eyes with red pupils.

"Well I can see you are enjoying my gorgeous physique but please I cannot lie I have been working out twice a week" he said in the most comical and upbeat voice I'd ever heard. "I'm still very drunk" I said to him and to myself since this bizarre act could only be from the depths of my dead imagination doing a final waltz before it collapsed back into the ashes.

"Oh come now my friend I am very much real and may I just say on behalf of all things chaotic that you handled that second wedding like a pro, I mean if crashing through the window like the first wedding wasn't enough you went ahead and made all the faces turn when you swept that bride off her hooves and kissed her with such fire and passion" he said, his eyes blinking with a shiny look to them as he sighed, pretending to be admiring me.

I raised an eyebrow and asked "Did I really do that?" to which he nodded very happily and clasped a paw on my back, directing me as we began to walk briskly into the castle. "Oh yes I got it all on film for my collection" he replied and continued "I must say the way the groom and everypony's face looked at you when you kissed her was of shock but then when you dropped her and threw up all over the groom now that was the most funny thing I've seen in years and that my friend is a rarity with me."

I pushed his paw away and began walking back to my room and shot back "I don't know what you are but we are not friends and will hopefully never be. Also I don't remember doing anything like that during my small escapade away from the castle."

He popped up in front of me by some strange force of magic and extended a talon. "Oh where are my manners. The name is Discord, former lord of chaos turned hero of the Equestrian nation." This guy, or whatever gender he was, was certainly not a hero but I kept cool and shook his hand, introducing myself as the Supreme Commander.

Suddenly in a pop of smoke he was dressed like me with the addition of a cap and had a ridiculous amount of medals on his chest as he talked back with a mockery of my accent, asking me "I hear you are from another dimension correct!? Do they have a more dashing me there!?"

I scowled and shook my head stating "If we had them by now we'd have gotten rid of you, all your nonsense and fancy tricks!" This guy was really getting on my nerves now.

He pushed a claw to my muzzle and whispered "Shh, the little ponies are sleeping my friend, come now we must talk quieter because I have a question to ask you. As a lord of chaos I can easily detect magical imbalance and seeing your handiwork today I can tell that you have some magical aces up your sleeves. However I'd like to know why I find it hard to tell what magic resides inside of you. Maybe you could enlighten me a little chum?"

I kept scowling and asked "Doesn't the Hero of Equestria have stuff to do? Go bother one of the pretty Princess's and leave me be" but he took it all for a game and chuckled saying "Oh but you shouldn't insult them. They have been awfully generous after all, putting you up, putting up with your odd ways and you're such rude behaviour. Wherever you come from must be such a crude place if you treat ponies like that all the time" he seemed serious but kept his sarcastic and annoying tone.

"I know nothing of your damned world! What do you expect of me?" I demanded, wanting this freak to leave me alone and considering blasting him into the wall he was standing against. "Oh such anger, I see a lot of darkness in there" he said grinning and patting to my chest.

I looked up at him menacingly and he sighed and pointed to some tall tower to the North of the castle. "You want to learn about this world? Read then, or maybe books don't exist where you are from. Anyway I must be heading off, ponies too meet and ponies to annoy and oh! Morning tea with dear Fluttershy in a few hours I almost forgot, well ta-ta" he cackled before disappearing into more confetti.

Now that I was alone it was so incredibly quiet I looked around to make sure that the rest of the world was still moving and time hadn't stood still. The moon shone brightly around the grounds and on the bridge leading to the gatehouse and everything looked fine.

"You know I believe that he is right" I said to myself since this Discord fellow had a point that I had no idea about the customs of this Equestria or any of its history. "Hey I have six months so why not spend just a day or so reading to pass the time" I thought despite how I disliked the general atmosphere of a library and had apparently flooded one out fairly recently.

"Maybe then I can apologise to Princess Luna and Princess Celestia and then maybe they'll work harder on getting me out of this dry hell hole and back to a civilization that likes to drink alcohol" I thought, though putting it like that sounded just plain sad.

So I took the freaky Discord's advice and set a course for the tall tower with golden ornaments decorated up its walls and flags bearing what looked like Princess Luna and Princess Celestia making a circle in front of the moon and the sun. "Needs red" I thought as I entered the tower, the guard letting me in despite those mistrusting eyes they all seemed to have.

It was a lovely tower but then it was a royal palace and was supposed to be lovely. "Maybe this tower was torn down when we stormed the capital? I certainly don't remember it being around so maybe it never was" I thought as I trotted up the steps, my hoofsteps echoing in the empty spire.

I was greeted at the top by a large array of multi-coloured books all with different ages and different bindings. Some were pristine whilst others fell to pieces and were crumbly just like the books I'd encountered when I'd found the portal.

Some might call it beauty but I was still quite suspicious of these books. If they ever found the way into the hooves of somepony from my universe then who knows what terrible ideas they would place into their minds.

I picked one up that read "The History of the Canterlot Chess Tournaments" that looked as boring as it read. I never read many books in my five hundred years of life even before I had a country to rule I was never a bookworm but then books were harder to come by back then.

I browsed along sections of the library and unbuttoned the collar of my stained and creased uniform as it got hot and sweaty. I could see out through some observation windows that bathed the library in the lovely light of the moon. "Princess Luna really doesn't give herself credit" I thought as I put down an astronomy guide and began to feel guilty at all I'd done.

"They may be Monarchs but they aren't cruel at all. Everypony adores them and respects them whilst I have earned respect through fear and propaganda and I can't say anypony that would love me so much that they'd cheer for me without the threat of a gun to their head egging them on" I thought as I reflected on all I'd done the past few days with much scrutiny and guilt towards me.

I had complained about being here. I had complained and insulted Princess Luna a number of times, I'd insulted the generosity of both the Princess's by making a mess of their train station and now I had to be watched like some small foal to make sure I didn't do something that would lead to future trouble.

"Well I'll show them all I can be trusted" I murmured with a fiery determination as I picked up "A Brief History of Equestria" and sat down to read. "I'll learn about this world and its ways and impress the Princesses and then maybe we will be square at the very least" I thought, wanting to for the time being get back those conversations and good times with Princess Luna.

If I had to stay here for an entire six months then it would be nice to see if I could make an actual, genuine friend and not just a pony who tolerated me.


	8. Two Easy Decisions

**Two Easy Decisions**

I was so angry at how he had just pushed what he'd done aside as if it were nothing at all. His irresponsibility made a lot of ponies unhappy today and would have ruined their lives had my sister not agreed to pay double the usual compensation for these very rare incidents.

"I told you this would happen" she'd said to me and now I had to admit that she was right and that he couldn't be trusted like he had been. Sure he knew some things about ruling and had helped me get off my flank but he had no respect for others below him and what he did to our citizens he did to us.

It actually made me question if he had respect for me and my sister at all. I knew he was drunk when he did those things but getting drunk was disrespectful in the first place and did not display the leadership he'd discussed with me.

"You are right sister" I thought sadly, "We cannot true him and must send him home as quickly as possible with minimal contact with him on our part." It was a shame to think like this since we had been getting on well in the past few days and I believed our conversations had been interesting despite the fact I assaulted him twice but today he'd apparently never really cared much anyway that was worse than any smack across the face.

I sighed and looked through the telescope of the observation tower towards the train station west of Canterlot. "It'll take a good few days to clean that up" I imagined but then seeing how far the train was from the rails made me wonder how powerful The Red Stallion was. "He has a very strange obsession with red" I thought which I found to be a very angry colour.

He had mentioned something about placing a soul from that of a tree inside his body but then I had no idea how that would extend his life or make him more powerful but apparently he knew nothing either, though that wasn't fair as it was not like I understood any science mumbo jumbo.

I sighed and decided that no monster attacks would happen tonight and so decided to help somepony in their dreams as I usually would if there was nothing left to do for me at night but stare at the stars, that I must have like a million times by now.

However before I could lose myself a voice from behind me asked nervously "Uh Princess Luna?" I looked back and saw that it was the scribe whom Dark Horizon had woken a day ago. "Uh I left this file with the candidate reports on your desk but noticed that you hadn't got them yet so I brought them to you instead" he said respectfully, though I could see he was tired and not eager to be standing here.

I blinked in surprise and asked "I have a desk?" to which he yawned tiredly and nodded and explained "Next to your sister's about three doors down and looking quite new considering it's been around a year. Well goodnight Princess" he tried to smile but failed as he levitated a file over to me and trotted away.

I bid him goodnight as I caught his file in my magic, and was about to take a look over it but then thought "Maybe I should take a look at this in my office?" It certainly sounded delightful in my head so after a few minutes of trotting along the dark hallways I arrived at my sister's office that had a small sun on the door and looked very well used and upon peaking in showed too many filing cabinets and documents all over the place.

I went to my office, following the directions given to me and saw a brand spanking new door with a moon crescent adorned on it. I expected cobwebs but then I supposed the room was cleaned every other day so it just looked like a simple bare room.

There was a desk in the centre, a lamp on the desk as well as on the ceiling and a small paper tray that had a small piece of paper on it and looked very empty. I picked it up to see it read "Office of her Majesty Princess Luna and frowned, wondering how long I'd had this office? Surely not for the entire year since I'd got back.

"Well this is going to be fun" I thought as I sat on the grand chair behind the desk and turned on the light to see the file of all the scribes the Head Scribe had brought me to choose from. "A new scribe just for me and me alone!" I thought in excitement.

I opened it up and was amazed by just how many ponies were in the file, about a hundred in total. It described everything from their appearance to their favourite colours and had a photo of them with their name in the right corner of the page. "Well… this is thorough" I thought as I looked at the millions of things these potential scribes had to give away about their lives.

"Well I suppose it has to be done" I thought as I began to look over the various forms of the various ponies that wanted a job as the Head Night Scribe. Then again I didn't want a scribe to draw up documents for me to sign; I wanted a pony that had the brains to make those decisions for me like Dark Horizon had said. I looked down sadly and tried not to think about that.

Instead I focused completely on the potential candidates that would hopefully not mind making a few decisions for Equestria. They differed a lot of the times in personality mainly. Some were happy looking souls and some were cold and complete workaholics as their descriptions stated.

I flicked over the file for an hour before narrowing it down to a stallion called Anti and a mare called Melody. Anti was an orange pony with a red mane. A Unicorn that was described as a jolly, work dedicated, with a good heart that made decisions easily based on fairness.

Melody was the opposite and was a timid and non-talkative mare that had a greyish blue coat with a white mane and a kind of dull look in her eyes. However the report listed her as a great financer that could be handy when needing advice.

"These would be two good scribes, or ministers… or uh maybe assistants? I tried to think of a pony that made decisions without the need of authorization from a Princess or some other figure of leader. "I'll figure it out" I thought and kept on.

I thought for a second or two about what to do and then decided "Well I'll hire them both. Anti can make the decisions related with ponies and Melody can make the money decisions and both report to me to have stuff signed.

I grinned stupidly and proclaimed aloud "That shall show my sister that I am responsible and can help out more around here!"

I put the file away and attached the two I'd chosen together and prepared to head off to the Head Scribe's office to leave them with instructions to employ them immediately and do all the paperwork that they needed done to make it official.

Then again it was still night and I had nothing else to do so wouldn't it be nifty to visit my future scribes in their dreams and interview them there for the job. I thought it would be anyway so before getting up I looked into the dream world to find my little ponies.

There was a lot of traffic tonight as usual. I could sense happiness, love and distress all round but generally the night was going as usual for everypony. I could see Twilight Sparkle, her friends and other ponies all asleep and not even ponies, sometimes other creatures dreams popped up like the dragon's Spike, assistant to Twilight.

The annoying thing was that I could never detect Discord's dreams if the brute did indeed dream which I highly doubted. I disliked how my sister treated him as if he was on our level since he was the monster that had made our land suffer with his wacky magic that made life bordering on impossible for everypony.

Now he was apparently reformed though although I still didn't trust him and hopefully would be ready when he decided that friendship was getting boring and that chaos was ready to emerge once more.

I searched for a short while but couldn't find their dreams. Neither could I feel them asleep so this meant they were probably up and doing something that was strange since nopony liked to stay up through the night unless they had to work or something.

"Well I have their addresses and it has been months since I walked the streets of Canterlot so why not pay them a visit?" I thought and decided that I would do just that since it had been a while since I had strolled the towns without banners being flown and crowds cheering around me. "At least I won't have to worry about that at night" I thought glumly.

I exited the palace and walked past the gates where my own guards were standing attentively. They stood to attention and one asked "Do you require anything Princess? Perhaps an escort into town? Maybe you would you like a taskforce?"

I liked how every guard acted in Canterlot but I had to say mine were the coolest by far. "No thank you dear guard I am fine to walk the streets of my fair city and no task force will be required tonight" I replied coolly and he and the other bowed as I began the trek to the city.

Canterlot was an elegant city with nobles and aristocrats living uptown and businesses and their owners living in the rest of it along with all their workers that resided closer to the north of the city with quaint little houses.

"How the cities have changed from my day" I thought at the memory of the muddy, woody shacks that had been the infrastructure of every house in Canterlot a thousand years ago. "Now that was extreme poverty in comparison to this" I thought and couldn't help but congratulate Celestia and all the ponies that had lived down the centuries that built this nation to what it was today.

I arrived at the quaint little house above some kind of paint shop of the pony Anti and saw that he indeed must be up as the shop window was lit bright and I could see a shadow working from within along with the slight noise of machinery.

I knocked thrice on the door and waited patiently to be let in whilst the machines took a pause. It took a minute but eventually the door opened and a bright stallion looking exactly as his picture complained "I said I don't take orders this late... Sweet Celestia! I mean uh your majesty Princess Luna" he stuttered as he fell onto his fore hooves in a low bow, his snout touching his fetlocks.

"Oh get up" I said in irritation, I could never stand grovelling. "You are the pony named Anti are you not?" I asked and he nodded quickly and answered "Yes your majesty, I applied for the job of your personal scribe but I expected a mail courier to escort me for an interview and not a, personal visit to my very dirty little shop."

I looked to see he was covered in ink and that his hooves were grimy from the contraption behind. "What are you doing? Painting perhaps?" I asked curiously and he shook his head, replying "Oh, this is my printing store, my family has owned it for generations and now it passes to me to print flyers, posters or whatever ponies request for bits."

I walked in without asking and touched one of the machines with my shoe and uttered "Fascinating." "I have always wondered how all these posters for events were distributed so fast but never took the time to ask. You can print anything?" I asked and he nodded in pride and replied "We've got some of the finest printers in Equestria, can make a few thousand copies or anything a night and have them ready to go by morning, that's why I'm up so late."

I frowned and looked back at this spry, young-pony and asked "Why take the offer of working for me if you have a successful business?" It was a good question and he replied "Business gets less and less by the year since they opened the larger factories in Manehatten so I believed that by working under you, a Princess then I could earn enough money to hire another pony to work the presses and attract nobles or other rich ponies to my business."

"This is indeed a gentlepony and a smart one at that" I thought and tapped the machine again as if it was doing something. "Very good I must say. So you still want the job I believe?" I asked and he nodded and replied "I have all the skills, I studied to become a scribe but when my brother left to pursue a mare in Las Pegasus the business fell to me so I finished my study quickly and began my new life here, but then you opened up a new opportunity that I couldn't refuse" he smiled positively.

I was astonished by how family devoted and selfless this pony was by giving up his future whilst his brother left him to pursue his own selfish lust. "Well you are hired" I said with a smile, not being able to turn him down.

He laughed lightly and asked "You just take my word for it? No background check or thorough questioning required?" To which I replied "You seem honourable and that is what I need for a Night Scribe, though I wish to rearrange your contract. Talk with the head scribe of the castle by tomorrow night and begin when you are not preoccupied with your current work."

He shook his head and replied "I will report as soon as the sun rises, I have another pony working through the day and a pony to work nights will have turned up so I can start immediately."

I was also impressed by how far he thought ahead and thanked him, bidding him farewell and good luck with the rest of the night. "Goodnight Princess" he waved goodbye from his door as he went back in and resumed his hard work.

"Well that was a good decision on my part" I told myself with a chuckle and thought now about the other mare. "It wouldn't hurt to see if she could be an ordinary Night Scribe, she has a good record" I thought as I trotted to the next address that was in the upper districts of the city where all of the nobles and such lived.

I found it to be a grand White House with tall pillars and walls that was well lit all around. I rang the bell outside and waited for a moment before an old butler came out with wide eyes and quickly opened the gates for me.

"Y-your majesty" he stammered as he tried to bow before I stopped him and asked "I wish to see the owner of this fine estate to discuss work prospects."

He led me to the hall and asked if I wanted anything before he disappeared upstairs in a hurry. There was a slight clatter and suddenly ten ponies rushed down from the stairs in a single file and a rather rich and greying Pegasus with a brown coat and white dressing gown introduced "Your Majesty may I introduce myself as Light Case and ask what job prospect you have for me?"

He was obviously only just awake, as were the nine mares all around him and all younger than him and obviously his daughters that all looked scared at me. "It's not even Nightmare Night" I thought in annoyance.

Small ones that were just fillies were at the end of the long line whilst older ones were at the fore with their manes all askew, none looked anything like the pictures I'd seen so I asked "I am sorry to wake you but this must be the wrong address, where is the mare in this photo called Melody?"

I held up the picture and everypony in the room seemed to have a small heart-attack and the Light Case pleaded "Please your majesty whatever she did it was not our fault please pity my family and spare us! Take her to trial for what she's done but not my girls!" He pleaded in fear at my hooves.

I found this both bizarre and terribly annoying and began to get impatient and demanded "Just take me to her now and get up for Moon's sake man!" He sniffed and shot up hurriedly, almost bumping into me.

"Of course your majesty please, if you could follow me. Would you like a drink or something or..." I grunted and he saw that I wasn't thirsty and quickly, almost galloped off to the left of his grand house.

I strode behind was surprised when he led me to the basement behind the kitchen where I heard the clacking of the type writer contraption that was very new to me and saw that the mare Melody was down there by a plain bed placed against the wall of the cramped room, working away on something and looking tired but determined.

I raised my eyebrow. "This housing arrangement is a little different for her than your other daughters." He blushed and shook his head as if denying something in his mind and replied "No your majesty she insisted to live down here and she is also not my daughter, you see she's adopted."

I disliked his tone but was still very confused why anypony would live down here and ushered White Case away, with a commanding voice telling him "I must speak with her alone" before descending the steps of the basement. He fearfully scrambled up the steps and went to cower somewhere more than likely.

He didn't interest me however; I wanted to know why this mare Melody would have done something and why she was working in such impoverished conditions, plus of course what she was working on.

"Good night" I bid her as I descended the steps down to her but she paid me no heed, instead continuing to type out something and ass it to the pile of papers by her side. I frowned and repeated "Good night fair citizen!" To which she looked up and acknowledged me with the words "Good night Princess Luna, have I got the job?" before returning to her typing at a frenzied pace.

I blinked and wondered what was so important that she would almost ignore me, her Princess and demanded "What in Equestria are thou doing!?" I tried not to look so perplexed when she answered with a casual shrug "Working out how to bring down the Equestrian Economy."

I blinked at this very to the point confession of treason and asked calmly "Is there a reason for you doing such this late at night?" She shrugged and replied "I was bored as she finished typing up another sheet of paper and placed it in another file covered in highlighter.

"Strange that you would do such a thing when you wanted to work for me or at least your report said you wanted to. Or are you some kind of spy that wants to know how to destroy Equestria?" I asked suspiciously.

She smirked and stopped typing, looking up at my towering form from her place in her cramped basement room. "I am no spy Princess, as you can see I could take Equestria down if I had ten ponies and this document. No I'm just a little filly that was unfortunate enough to wind up in the middle of a bunch of nobles.

I raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Your father told me that you were adopted but why would you dislike being adopted and being brought up in a house like this?" I asked as I gestured above us.

She rolled her shoulders and cracked her neck loudly. "My Father adopted me because it was the trend then to give to the poor, climb the ranks to become as close to Princess Celestia as possible and lick her royal hooves."

I scowled, I really hated grovelling and White Case was a prime example of a groveler. Tia seemed to put up with them though how I never knew why although maybe it was all the attention she was given.

"So why do you hate them so?" I asked and she replied in anger "My so called sisters treat me as an outcast, my Father treats me as some kind of criminal and hides me in this house and my skills go to waste. I actually wanted to work in a bank from an early age but he's never trusted me with money or his name so I could never get a job. I was approached by a young scribe a day or so with the offer from the castle to find candidates for the job of Head Night Scribe to you and now that you are here which means you believe I intend to crash the Equestrian Economy or I have the job."

I coughed and replied "Yes well uh... Maybe it is best you burn those documents before you leave to report for work tomorrow. Do you need help in dealing with your Father to let you go?"

She smiled and shook her head. I'm not a little filly anymore. I'm leaving tomorrow and don't intend to come back here ever again. I promise I will be a loyal scribe Princess and report to you tomorrow."

I smiled and brushed my hoof across the floor, "Actually I need to talk about adjusting your contract tomorrow night, just check with the head Scribe and ensure that you don't mention anything about Equestria's destruction to my sister or she might react a little harshly.

She nodded and turned back to her stack of papers and with a shrug pushed them all into the trashcan. "Now maybe I can get a few hours rest. Thank you Princess, this means the world to me" and with that she bowed her head, yawned and made the short journey from her desk to her bed.

I smiled and retreated back upstairs. "Well I guess I can have two head Scribes" I thought, not seeing the problem. Light Case was there, dressed in a fancy suit he'd changed into quickly and looking more sturdy as he said "She is always making those terrible plans Princess to destroy Equestria. Please accept my apology and let me aid in whatever investigation that will be launched."

I scowled and yelled in the Canterlot voice "Get out of my sight before I have you sent to the Moon!" to which he reacted with an "eep" and jumped behind his butler who had been standing behind. "Miss Melody is leaving tomorrow, throw her a farewell party and if she is unsatisfied then you will feel my wrath. Understood Light Case!?" I finished in the Canterlot voice.

He was definitely cowering now and his daughters, now all dressed in dresses of grandeur were also looking scared. "Sweet dreams girls" I bid them in a quiet tone as I let myself out, satisfied and thrilled before realizing "My sister is going to be angry."

Then again who gave a damn about that? I was my own pony and could threaten who I liked and rich jerks like that certainly deserved that more than anypony that worked hard and didn't live off his heritage to raise his family, of which he had done terribly.

I looked up at the sky and saw it was only a couple of hours until the light of the sun would shine upon the land. "Hopefully I will not encounter Dark Horizon and he will be sleeping off his drunken ballad" I thought sadly and began to trot back to the castle.

Tomorrow was going to be a very interesting day indeed.


	9. The Weight

**The Weight**

It had been three days and I had never seen Princess Luna in all that time. She wasn't in her room atop the observation tower that the Princesses usually watched the land from. Neither was she in the throne room though I never expected her to be there.

I had spent the nights reading about Equestria and her amazing History instead. Some of it was obscure and hard to find but I now understood that the nation formed into Equestria under the Princess after a harsh winter where three clans co-operated to become one, all races striving for a more liberal world that I could at least respect even if an autocratic system emerged over it.

Besides that I'd read of the traditions and customs of the land that seemed similar in some aspects the Soviet Republic. Thankfully they worshipped no old gods that was something that put everypony on equal terms but then the ponies of the different races seemed to accept the fact that Earth Ponies were the workers and the Farmers, Pegasi the ponies that brought about the weather and Unicorn the ones that made the intricate objects and lifted the hard materials that Earth Ponies struggled to do with their hooves.

This seemed to limit the Earth Ponies a little as they weren't getting good deals by toiling for little money and receiving what seemed like little education as they state themselves "The Plantations need us" from a very early age. Then again I admitted that in my world Earth Ponies also bared the brunt of hard manual labour though Pegasi and Unicorn were worked equally hard to ensure equality.

I disliked also the lack of the trade Unions and strikes that went down in History, mainly because their seemed to be none at all. I had never thought out the ideas of Ponyism that had been Lemming's job and I had seen it as a fair one as I was no intellectual but it had worked well but it seemed this world had no intellectual willing to step forward with these ideas or something similar to them.

Then again I'd read how the new nation of Equestria had immediately tripled in grain growth and how the new systems and policies introduced by the Princess's had made everypony more tolerant towards each other and willing to co-operate as one as long as it was under the eyes of the monarchy.

Prosper and Harmony was the entire common pony needed and I accepted that had the state not been so bad in my world then nopony would have rallied to the Revolution and it would have all fallen to the ashes of History as a small revolt in a simple town.

Reading was never my strong point but I worked through a few books with all the time I had. I was more sober now without having any alcohol in my system for the last 36 hours and regretted all I had done to offend the Capital and the Princesses'. After all this was their home even if it looked like mine and I rarely left my home to go on a rampage, preferring my bed chambers to get drunk silly.

I had tried to find Princess Luna to apologise for my rudeness but I hadn't been able to find her anywhere so I assumed that she was ignoring me. Rightly so I supposed since I was indeed a rude, crude and very unlovable pony.

The day was arriving as I stepped out of the library and nodded respectfully to the regular guard on duty. A normal day guard whose eyes had a first followed me like a hawk but now only viewed me as a normal goer to the library though he kept his guard and showed no respect in those eyes, just a neutral look which seemed to almost judge me without actually doing so.

I trotted back to my bedroom and caught no sign of Luna nearby. I wasn't surprised but when I saw Princess Celestia coming towards me I was curious to ask after I bid her good morning "Will the young Princess Twilight Sparkle be contacting me soon Princess?"

She replied in her bright accent "I have arranged for you to meet her In Ponyville soon Supreme Commander. During the day of course to make it easier for her to study you and ask questions, I suggest you begin to wean yourself off this sleep cycle to one that befits you more." My nose twitched and it sounded almost like she was instilling the night was better than the day that would have hurt Luna's feelings but I ignored that as I was too interested with what the Princess had said.

"Do you mean I will leave the castle and travel to this city and reside instead where the Princess lives?" I asked a little worried as I didn't like even leaving the castle in my own world and didn't feel much like sightseeing at the moment. Princess Celestia shook her head, though she didn't smile. She's been a lot colder towards me since my little drunken stunt but still maintained a polite enough way when she talked to me.

"You will leave with a small guard escort by train and in an hour arrive at Ponyville where you will meet the Elements of Harmony, a powerful magical six besides Princess Twilight whom is also one of them." They seemed a little like an ace and the Princess smiled now, probably knowing what I was thinking without possessing the power to read minds.

"Sweet dreams Supreme Commander" she bid me as she trotted away to raise the sun. I grimaced and tried not to think about my nightmares that had only gotten worse and worse since I had been here. A reason why I always woke up before the night ended was just to escape their horrible faces that seemed more tortured than they had been in reality.

I sighed and trotted back to my lonely room. Despite it being summer it was very cold this morning as the sun rose. I shut the Curtains and began to unbutton my Uniform, which the castle staff had so kindly washed after I'd taken off all the medals and awards. "They did a better job than my staff" I admitted to myself, it looked almost brand new and like it had never been pressed to the cold Canterlot ally floor.

I laid it on the same chair I laid it on every day and climbed on top of the bed. Despite the cold in the room I knew I'd be sweating buckets by the end of the night and besides the cold reminded me of home that was usually raining this time of year and snowing in autumn. I sighed and my head fell against the pillow and I tried not to think about anything at all.

It worked and within minutes the sound of my breathing faded. The horrible thing about dreams is the blind hope you always have in them. My blind hope was always that something knew would come along and I would rest peacefully but not this time, not ever.

The cold grey image began to materialize once more and the harsh red banners began to form. I was in the same position as always, overlooking the crowd from the balcony as the cruel tyrants were marched by the Red Guard to the execution platform. I could never speak or raise my hooves, never look away as the Queen pleaded to let her children go and kill only her husband and herself.

I always looked down in fear as they looked up at me in fear, the soldiers of the line were fearful as well as I looked down at them. They were glad for the Revolution but they never wanted this job, nopony did. Some however, particularly in the crowds looked ahead with smiles or hatred at their old leaders being brought to a bloody justice.

It was slow as the Royal Family was brought onto the stage, Lemming was to my left and Trotsky to the right. Lemming shaking his head with his glasses poised on the edge of his nose, he'd never wanted the Royals dead but under house arrest whilst Trotsky looked ahead with his eyes heavy yet his stance firm, knowing that at least tomorrow would bring about a new start.

I myself as always tried to pull away with that burning hope that I could at least break free and run from my crimes. I began weeping as they were lined up. The King was an Alicorn like Luna and Celestia and not the bent-over, evil looking and hate inciting tyrant I thought of him as but the Father of his children going to die with his head held high as the last King of Equestria.

His children were a mix some Alicorns others just Unicorn. An older stallion with a Uniform, dishevelled like his Father's that stood tall and proud whilst his younger brother, a colt stood in fear with tear streaked eyes. The two young fillies didn't even know what was really about to happen, some sweet lie probably being fed to them but they were still quite distressed and confused.

"Please" I muttered though it was no good in these dreams. Nopony paid attention to me and I couldn't change the outcome of events. Everypony would die and although I held no weapon it was my hoof that threw the order, my voice that yelled the accusations of the crimes against their people.

Were they true? Absolutely but the deaths of fillies and colts was not what I had set out to achieve in the Revolution. Years later I'd call it my Revolution but I was just its face. Lemming was intended to cover the politics and Trotsky the army and how had it ended? In death as all things with me ended. I had destroyed the idea of a utopia where all ponies got their share and were free and replaced it where all ponies got the minimum share and kept their lips sealed tightly.

Was it better than the ways of the King? What pony can say but at least I gave the workers a more or less fair deal at the cost of what little freedom they'd had before the Soviet Republic.

The Captain raised his hoof and brought it down heavily and the firing squad fired. The Queen screamed as she fell but the King was more dignified, silent and quick to fall. The older Prince didn't fall so quickly as his jugular sprayed torrents of blood and he gasped and collapsed against the stands.

I wanted to turn away and begged myself to as I looked at the little colt and fillies but I couldn't and began to weep harder and beg "Please forgive me" as I always did. The lifeless faces of the Monarchs that had destroyed my own family stared up at me in a dead judgement of my character.

They were bad but I was worse, I was evil and they confirmed it. The older Prince died a slower death than he should've his face a bloodied mess, his mouth ajar and his eyes wide with pain in his features. "Oh please no more!" I begged as I watched the next round of ponies, the retainers come on to the stage as the Royals bodies were carted off to cheers from the crowds.

Something was strange now though and suddenly I found that when I pulled away I could move. I looked stunned as my tears ran down my chine and looked at Trotsky and Lemming to see they hadn't moved. I backed away and immediately fell over and cried out in fear as a Royal was standing over me with white eyes and darkness that surrounded him, his crown firmly upon his head.

"Please just kill me" I sobbed and held my hoof over my face in fear but suddenly I was stopped when the mist evaporated and the eyes became constellations and Princess Luna was standing over me. I sniffed and blinked in disbelief at what I was dreaming and could only look down in such shame and pitifulness.

"Why of everypony do you have to j-judge me as well?" I yelled, sobbing as she took a sorrowful step away from me and went towards the balcony that showed the deaths of the King's retainers and generals. A loud bang was heard and she flinched back to me.

She saw the look in my eyes and asked "What's below this balcony?" as if she didn't know already. I didn't answer and she stepped towards it, me grabbing her hoof in panic and pleading "Please Princess I beg of you not to see it please!" She looked back at my pitiful form, sprawled out over the form and swallowed looking sorrowful.

"What is below us Dark Horizon?" she asked me, using my full name and making me sob again. "M-My greatest regret as well as my greatest curse… please don't look or you'll never talk to me ever again" I begged with her, holding her hoof and probably hurting her.

She looked out towards the balcony and heard another sharp crack as generals fell to the revolution and then looked back at me. Her face conflicted with her emotions and she sighed and crouched down, pulling me into a hug and whispering "I am the Keeper of Dreams and if you do not wish me to see then I will not see."

I sobbed into her soft fur as she hugged me as if I was some lost colt, which I always felt like in these dreams. I wasn't sure whether this was real or not but it was painful for me none the less to stoop to this level in front of Princess Luna, the pony who hated me already and now comforted me even if I was dreaming her.

This had never happened in my dreams before and I hoped I'd dream up something like this again as it was comforting and far easier to deal with than when I was glued to the balcony and forced to watch the executions time after time, tortured face after accusing face and finally awaken to a sweat stained bed and teary eyes.

Luna's presence made me feel safer than when I was watching them and I didn't know why I'd dreamed of this but maybe it was because of the kindness she'd shown me before I'd gone and done the stupid train incident that had made me look like a reckless fool.

"I-I'm so sorry Luna, I-I d-d-didn't mean to do what I did" I said speaking about more than drunken bouts and she shushed me and stroked my mane replying "We all make mistakes but we have to learn to accept them and know that the ones we love will forgive us."

I sighed and tried to calm down as more shots were fired and replied "I have no loved ones left to forgive me for what I have done and originally in their name. I am alone in this world as I have always been. Y-You are so lucky to have a sister" I mumbled as I tried to retract my head but she held it there and replied "My sister and I will always be different but you are right that we are family. Would you like to wake up?" she asked as more cheering echoed out and I nodded "Please, nothing would make me happier than to escape this nightmare."

She looked tired as her horn glowed and suddenly I was in awake, sweating and on top of my bed in my room in the castle. I got up and looked around and saw the day setting. "That's not right at all, I sleep until the night unusually and the time the dream lasted it couldn't have been over an hour."

I rubbed my eyes and cracked my neck. "That was one of the worst ones for a while" I thought as I got up. "The fact the Princess was in it is just shameful however" I though as I began to get ready to head back to the library and hopefully lose myself in the books it had there if I couldn't lose myself in the castle's alcohol.

"I'm glad that wasn't the real Luna" I thought, thinking at how pathetic and weak I'd looked. To dream out of the norm never happened for me, once in a few years did I dream slightly different and sometimes I did skip the dream and still sleep restlessly but never had I had a good sleep in centuries.

"Not a good thing when you are making decisions for a country" I thought as I exited my room with my Uniform on and buttoned up tight to my neck. What surprised me was The Princess of the Night standing there with a sorrowful look on her face and a teary look in her eyes that seemed to penetrate what little soul I had.

I straightened up and regained my regal look and coughed to clear my throat before respectfully saying "Good Evening Princess, I hope that you can once more accept my deepest apologies for what my drunken mistakes a few days ago. My actions were disrespectful to Equestria and to you and I regret them deeply with hindsight.

I thought it was good to get that off my chest and figured the Princess might have been feeling a little sad since the event, after all she'd been ignoring me for a while but when she rose up and put her hooves around me in a hug I was more than surprised but shocked and this became fear when she said "I am so very sorry for what happened in your dreams Dark Horizon."

I pulled away from her embrace and stepped back with my mouth agape and sternly ordered "How could you know of my dreams!? What magic have you placed upon me!? What right do you have to pry into my mind like a book you damned Royal freak!?" I yelled in rage as I stepped back into my room.

She looked a little confused and stepped into my room as I began pacing in anger back in forth. She tried to explain "I am the Keeper of Dreams and sensed you asleep and in distress as I was on the return to my own bed chambers and so I entered your dream and saw you in such terrible distress. I comforted you and told you I would not gaze beneath the balcony and instead wiped that dream from your mind and let you have a fast, unhindered sleep."

Her tone seemed one of kindness but the allegations against her were that she stole into my dreams and saw me as a bubbling, nervous wreck on the floor that needed to be scooped up like some common colt with Nightmares of evil spirits snatching away everything dear to him.

"Those are my own dreams about decisions I made with a heavy hoof when I was younger and less experienced and under pressure from the whole of Equestria to perform. You had no right to see me like that, what you did was see a weak pony and that is partly because these Nightmares recur every night and I can't stop them but that doesn't give you a right to watch my dreams like some news reel!"

I was so angry but the Princess continued to be kind and offered "I will no longer enter your dreams if you so wish but I could help you Dark Horizon, I could remove the dream that plagues you, give you peace of mind and help you solve your problems. I do it for many of my citizens every night."

I sighed and rubbed my eyes with my hooves and sat down on the chair by my window. "Princess Luna I beg of you to never enter my dreams again as they really are not a nice place to be. I also beg you never bring up my state to anypony as it would cast me in a terrible light. Above all else I beg that you never have to deal with a pony with my problems because believe me there are thousands and that was only one of the usual dreams I have" I said shamefully.

Princess Luna came over to me and sat down on her haunches. She looked at of the window as the sun went down and closed her eyes, raising the moon and making it night. "Please Dark Horizon you cannot shut your problems away, speaking is sometimes best in these matters, talking about my time as Nightmare Moon to my sister was hard but in the end I felt better. You… mentioned how you had no family left to talk about this so I came to offer my support" she said slowly, trying hard not to be offensive.

I was too distraught to be angry and shook my head saying "Please call me Supreme Commander Princess Luna. I regret deeply you seeing me like that but to tell you what I've done would be like confessing to crimes so foul it would make Cerberus cower from where he stands guard."

Princess Luna closed and opened her eyes slowly and looked out the window and at the rising night sky as the stars materialized. Ponies died under my sister and I. In the beginning many starved, overcome with the harsh winter before them and the unification at first was a mess and hard to get organized but we did it and for a time there was peace until I distanced myself and ruined it all.

"Did you ever try to kill your own family?" Princess Luna asked and I had to shake my head sullenly and admit I'd never done that. "I only wanted to avenge them" I muttered dangerously quiet and trying not to storm out in rage against myself more than Luna.

She put a hoof on my shoulder and asked "Were the Rulers of your Equestria really so vile and wicked? At least tell me what they were like?" I shook my head, not wanting to but finding my lips moving and my brain beginning to formulate sentences.

"King Vitalis was an ass. He was a family man, a noble who understood nothing of court and beyond that his vision reached as far as the Castel Throne room. His scribes and advisors confused him and he stirred up deceit in his own government. When we led the ponies into the city most of the army had joined us after renouncing their oaths."

Princess Luna's eyes seemed eager for me to continue so I went on. "Our economy was in ruin, production was at a low, worker conditions terrible and food supply laughable to other nations and he sat on his throne and requisitioned oats and hay whilst our families starved and he ate like a king.

I put my head into my hooves and continued with my voice a little shakier "Then there was my family and I. We were farmers, living in a small hamlet, no real name given to it and we were accused of stealing land from the king because we tried to grow more on a field adjacent to ours.

My voice got shakier and I wasn't sure if I should continue and asked "If I tell you the next part swear you won't repeat it to anypony?" Princess Luna looked like she was struggling with this too and nodded before I concluded "They arrested my Father for public execution with others in the Capital, the killed my Mother and my sister whilst I was in the fields and burned our house with their bodies still inside… I-I never even got to say goodbye" I quivered as I broke down with the pain of it all, left untouched and locked away for centuries now being told to my greatest enemy and yet my greatest and only friend.

Princess Luna tried to hug me again but I straightened up and shook my head and finished "The messed up thing is after the Revolution I didn't even hunt down their killers and kill them. I probably assimilated them into the new Intelligence services. They slaughtered my Father like a dog at the stands, killed and did Equestria knows what to my Mother and sister and burned down my home and I let those monsters work for me!"

I got angry, standing up and looking at the Princess with menace in my eyes and I saw that look of fear I'd seen in the eyes of so many and after raising my right fore-hoof I slammed it into the mirror, shattering it and feeling the pain as shards went into my hoof and knowing that I deserved worse than this.

Princess Luna gasped in shock and levitated my hoof away from the mirror as if I was about to roll in the shards and exclaimed "What in Celestia's name do you think you are doing?"

I cackled all of a sudden feeling a tremendous weight lifted off my shoulders and replied "I really don't know, but I think I like it."

**Just a note that I've noticed some spelling and grammar mistakes in previous chapters and will try and fix them when I get the time.**


	10. It's a Start

**It's a Start**

I had really began to think he was getting out of his idiotic stage but he just kept doing stupid things like punching mirrors and wrecking weddings and trains and generally looking like a complete and total moron. Not that the situation hadn't changed and now I found myself feeling more sorry than angry at him.

I had sensed distress so fierce in his dream and believed I could help him solve his problems with some of my good old fashioned wisdom. He didn't want my help though and not only for shame of something from his past but for fear of what my reaction would be upon finding it out.

He had begged me, the strong and proud pony in real-life turned into a crying mess had held me back and I had nearly in curiosity ignored him and gone to see what he had been looking at with his hooves gripping the marble of the castle's main balcony so hard I thought it would have collapsed.

I heard loud bangs and they seemed to be part of something that tortured him so I tried not to think what kind of contraption would do such a thing though I suspected it was his firearm that he had explained to me a few days ago being used to kill somepony.

Who however and why was a mystery to me but then he was fiercely against me finding out so why would I snoop and play detective to figure out something that never even took place in my world? At least I thought it was a good excuse to tell myself.

We had visited the Royal Infirmary and a nurse had bandages his hoof up after a Doctor had removes the bits of broken mirror and dressed it and now he was limping slightly as we went forwards to my office. "I think that mirror was over several centuries old" I muttered, though in truth I didn't have a clue how old the mirror was.

Dark Horizon had calmed down and now grumbled at the pain of his hoof and over everything that had transpired in the last few hours. "Thank you for taking me to the Infirmary" he mumbled as we trotted and I shrugged and replied "You are still a guest even if you are the most confusing and unstable we've ever had staying here, at least to my knowledge."

He grimaced and apologised once more "My temper is known throughout the Soviet Republic to be a terrible one, please forgive me" to which I sighed once more and again told him "It's all water under the bridge. I hit you a few times and almost got you killed, you got drunk, blew up a train station, ruined three mares' lives and insulted a baby. I'll let the mirror thing slide though because that hurt you too."

He winced as he put too much pressure on his newly bandaged hoof and murmured "Had I known that punching a mirror would have hurt so much then I'd have chosen to punch something softer." I smiled and pointed out "I thought you were about to punch me for a moment back there but I'm glad you didn't. My hits are fairly weak but you look like you could deal some fair damage."

He grinned a little arrogantly and answered "In my younger days I remember once ripping a metal door to a military food cache clean off to the awe of my comrades. We took the spoils and were victorious and then the entire town called to have us protect them." I rolled my eyes and thought all stallions were the same for their macho ways, though it was an interesting piece of information to file away for later.

He was happy though and that was the main thing. It scared me that he could flip in personality from calm to angry to pathetic on a whim but he seemed to have it all under control now and was smiling despite the slight pain he was in. Ponies had their bad days and good days but his days were susceptible to anything.

We talked no more as we passed along towards my office, which had become a hive of activity now that it had paper and Equestrian law books dotting around like landscapes as Melody and Anti worked hard to see what I could do to help out around the castle. I'd asked my sister for some basic paperwork to begin with but her words were "Leave me to deal with this Luna, you do not understand such matters" which had led to quite the quarrel.

"So my suggestions have been well received?" he asked as we arrived at my office and I smiled, pushing the door open with my magic and revealing all that was going on inside. "We decided to start off from the beginning with some easy things; we've got the official Equestrian Laws over which to govern the state and are making sure that whatever I do is not in breach of anything my sister has written down in the last a thousand years.

I saw my two little ponies talking about something whilst in the middle of scanning page after page of a ridiculously huge book that seemed to extend over my desk. "This is Melody I introduced to him to the rather grim looking mare who bid me a goodnight before introducing herself to him. "This is Anti" I introduced next whom seemed to be in a jolly mood and that made it his mission in life at that moment to get up and shake the Supreme Commander's hoof, which he did with much vigour.

"I must say I am very pleased you heeded my words Princess" he acknowledged with a nod towards my helpers. "So have you explained they are not only drawing up documents but signing them as well?" he asked and Melody answered instead of me in a rather dry tone saying "I'm going to be in charge of the night Economy supposedly and Anti here will be handling the general night problems of Bureaucracy that I don't really see the point of, but that's just what Princess Luna and we wanted to ask you about."

He blinked and looked from them to me and I shrugged sheepishly. "The thing is there isn't anything for me to actually do regarding the night. My sister denies me to change anything regarding the day which I have no ruler ship over so cannot touch according to the law and the night has nothing the day has not already got sorted out. I can literally go nowhere with anything as there is nothing to go to" I explained at a loss of what to do.

He shook his mane out of his eyes and asked "What do you mean by all this?" Anti stood up and explained "Diplomacy takes place in the day and all dignitaries report to Celestia, Royal events take place in the day and when they don't they are still handled by Celestia at the request of the nobles, Industrial Statistic meetings and economic meetings also take place in the day as well as the Industry itself and well, pretty much all ponies have problems with something during the day and never the night. I hate to say it but the day pretty much rules over the night."

I looked down in almost defeat before the first battle and asked "We hoped you'd have an idea since you yourself are a ruler and live in modern times, I am out of fashion and Melody and Anti don't know what to do with the system you propose so can you help me?"

He stood there with a frown on his muzzle and stroked his chin that was growing into the beginnings of a goatee that I thought made him look all the more respectable if not cute. "For a start what did you intend for these two to do?" he directed towards Anti and Melody, Melody who blew some hair out of her face.

"Well as I said anything to do with handling the economy at night and for Anti, well just the general things really" I said, not really thinking that deeply about it and Dark Horizon smiled at me as a parent would a child and explained "Ok then here's what will happen. Melody you are now the Night Minister for Finance and Anti you are now General Secretary of Night Affairs."

Melody and Anti looked at one another and then at me and I nodded and I held my hooves up in confusion, the titles were very bureaucratic but then my sister would really like that if she even paid me any heed. I'd tried so very hard to convince her to give me a chunk of her mountain of paperwork but it ended in her forbidding interfering with anything of the day.

"Well that's great but you see there are no such positions as that actually existing in Equestria" Melody explained as if it were obvious and Dark Horizon, sitting down waved his bandaged hoof and told Melody "Draw up a book that will instil administrators to the castle for at least the Night. You will be the first of these and Princess Luna will sign a declaration beneath your names that gives you power over certain areas and afterwards you will sign a contract and take a pledge to the Princess that the Princess will have to draw up herself" he said looking towards me.

I gulped at the thought of drawing up contracts and having to think of what to put down but he smiled at me and waved it all off and ordered "Enough of those now however, tell me what the current state of the Equestrian Economy is."

Melody levitated a small folder into his hooves and I saw it read "This Month's Report." "Nopony organises what is the full picture around here but I dug into the past month to get a look and can say that our trade is the only thing that keeps this country afloat right now. We don't actually have a lot of money in the treasury but we have grain and Industry through the roof and due to the fact that every nation trades with us that gives us so enough money to keep treading water.

I had to put a hoof up here and ask "So where is all of the money going if we earn so much?" Melody shrugged and replied "There's a reason why our land is the most peaceful and well kept. We spend it on maintaining everything from roads to houses to bridges to stadiums to simply giving gifts to struggling countries like the Crystal Empire in the form of priceless art, gold and gems. I mean come on there are festivals practically every other week what do you expect, the economy is so very lean, if some disaster were to strike let's say Manehatten we'd all find ourselves in a world of worry."

He seemed puzzled by some of the things he had been reading and sighed explaining "All of this takes place in the day meaning we cannot touch it. We need bits if we wish to do anything so how are we going to get more?" he asked and I shrugged and replied "Taxes?"

He scowled at me as if I was evil incarnate and replied "That is not fair on the people, no we must find a way to earn more money that can be paid directly into a private treasury for the Night only so your sister doesn't try to stop you by giving that money away. Minister for Finance you are in charge of doing this" he said pointing to Melody who seemed to dislike being called Minister for Finance and blew a lock of her hair out of her face.

"Now we need to create a reason for ponies and dignitaries to deal with you at night and not just your sister in the day. To do that we need to get ponies interested in the Night to show it is just as capable and respectable as the day" he went on, beginning to pace. It was impressive just to watch him work and I asked "How about stargazing?" He thought a moment and shook his head explaining "We need something that builds your reputation and is attributed only to you. We need something that you've done; maybe some kind of night festival to celebrate you would be a good start. The General Secretary of Night Affairs will handle this" he said pointing to Anti who saluted and began to scribble something down on a notepad with his magic.

I was more than impressed, I was overwhelmed with so many thoughts swimming in my mind all at once and being unable to stick in place. "What of the Night guard?" I piped up and everypony looked over, Dark Horizon asking "What about them?" I explained "Well it's stupid but my sister has so many guards whilst I have nothing but a token force to show my strength."

It had always been a sore spot but then it wasn't important. Dark Horizon seemed to see the look in my eyes and asked Melody "Surely the treasury can handle a few more guards on the payroll?"

She smirked and replied "We're not that uptight, I'm just saying that right now we couldn't really build a skyscraper unless we enlisted some support from businesses and… that's it!" she said as she began to scribble something down furiously.

I frowned at her but decided to leave them to their work and Dark Horizon continued "Somepony needs to take time to find a way to spread the word about a new recruitment program for the Night Guard. Make sure the pay is better by a slight to the day guard and ensure that it is seen by all to show that the night is back in power."

"Anti can do that, he has a printing press, we'll pay you of course Anti" I pointed to him and he smiled, shaking his head and saying "It would be a pleasure to print them for free your majesty. I feel that you are going to bring something new and inspiring to Equestria and it is the least I can do to move it along."

I shook my head not backing down. "Melody, make sure that Anti gets paid for anything he dos in the name of the crown or else I'll have you both clapped in Irons and thrown in the dungeon to rot" I said jokingly. They stared at me and I could see that my joke was not well received and so the Supreme Commander went on "You heard your Princess now you have work to do!"

I was amazed by what Dark Horizon was bringing together with his ideas. Although I was still sad that my sister couldn't co-operate and allow me to help her with what we were doing now hopefully she would see our efficiency and maybe take some of Dark Horizon's ideas and use them to get more time for herself.

We left them and began walking down the hallway towards the throne room; Dark Horizon was smiling and very pleased with himself for helping out. I was myself very happy with the events that had transpired and would be ever more excited when they began to go into play.

"Contemplating how you are going to take over Equestria with your two ministers to be and your non-existent treasury." I knew that was a better joke than the one I'd attempted but the thought of taking over Equestria made the Nightmare Moon memories sting and I couldn't help but grimace slightly.

He sensed something was wrong and looked over at me, his own smile losing form and he apologised "I'm sorry Princess; I didn't mean to offend you in any way." I shook my head and replied "Don't be ridiculous… it's just that the memories of the past are hard to get away from me. They just haunt me every now and then but I've come to terms with the fact with what I did."

We stood at the open gates to the throne room and he looked from me to the throne and in that thick accent of his he asked "Do you ever think about it?" I took a moment to understand what he was asking and had to ask "Sorry Supreme Commander but what did you say?"

He looked serious and pointed with a hoof to Celestia's throne atop a platform and with a red carpet leading up to it. Guards would stand there in the day but at night the room was empty. "Do you think about the power? Think about how you could have had the throne all to yourself?"

Why he'd asked a question like that out of the blue was a little off-putting and it made my voice stick in my throat and I put a hoof to my muzzle as I tried to think of something to say. He kept staring at me intensely and in the end I had no choice but to say "I thought about it a lot in the first few months. I still think about it and the way things would have gone had I claimed power. I would have killed my sister and taken her power for my own and ruled Equestria, maybe extended my evil to other reaches of the world. If my sister hadn't wielded the elements of Harmony to defeat me then I would have done it too and not regretted a thing."

He nodded, his head tilted to the side as he seemed interested particularly in the elements of harmony and taking my hoof told me "To not think about it is a bad idea. You are lucky however that you've gotten over what you almost did. You killed nopony and suffered greatly for what you could have done. What can I say about me?" he looked away and trotted into the throne room.

I followed him swiftly, stopping him and asking "You think I've gotten over my past deeds? Your dreams are haunted greatly but I dream sometimes too. I see it in the eyes of my subjects, in some more than others. When I got back it was pure fear and now it is just a slight weariness but it is still there. The judgement and the tales they spin about the disgraced sister of the great Princess Celestia."

I sat back and tried not to tear up. It would look weak to cry in front of the Supreme Commander right now and I didn't want to be seen as some pathetic mare that couldn't take a heavy conversation without breaking down.

He smirked and got up onto my sister's throne, perching himself upon it and pretending he was some kind of ruler. "You know I've done terrible things. I know that I've done terrible things as well. Back in my world the United Republic knows only that I am a hero of the Revolution. The one who cast off our shackles and freed us from those that oppressed us, they believe in me to lead them to the future and what do you think I think of them?" he asked with his tone still light but a little bit dark at the same time.

I put my fore-hooves up and asked "I don't know what you are trying to show me here but I'm not in the mood. Thank you for helping me but I really don't want to do this right now." He nodded his head and stood up, brushing the throne down and remarking "I suppose I can be dower but to answer my own question I never cared about my people, not for a long time. I set out to avenge my family, then to free the ponies of Equestria and then to spread Ponyism, the ideology of the Soviet Ponies but in the end it was me playing a god."

"I deserve fifty times your punishment for the crimes I committed against the people. The dreams I have are just a little part of what I deserve. You know now that I think about it, this eternal life and all this baggage I just don't know why I bother. Why do you both Luna? What makes you as a ruler that is loved by none and feared by some get up to raise the moon?" he asked coming down to sit next to me and look out the window with me at the moon.

I focused and thought hard before responding "Ponies depend on me. The moon is my job, always has been even if my sister took it over when she banished me. I have a duty to perform and no matter what ponies' think of me I will do it without complaint" I looked away and tried to think optimistic about the night in light of my little speech.

"You and your help are much appreciated though. Hopefully some ponies will think about Princess Luna when they hear about how great the night is when Anti figure out how to make me look good." I smiled trying to change the topic of conversation.

"You already look good" he grunted and for a minute there I wasn't sure if that was his dry attempt at a flirt or just a simple compliment. I raised an eyebrow and asked "So you dream badly and you think bad thoughts. Is there anything good about your land and the people you lead or are they as dower as you" I asked jokingly, hopefully my humour being well received.

"The Ponies of the United Republic are the strongest in the world. Twice that of any Zebras or Griffons and more solid under the bad circumstances they have. They live on the minimum of grain, have a minimum of personal items, some handed down through generations and most stick to tradition though it is not required. They work hard in the Factories, they plough the tough terrain and they march to the anthem of the U.R.S.P with their heads held high. If I was anything like them I would have shot myself by now" Dark Horizon scowled and rubbed his eyes as if he was tired of just thinking about it.

I sighed "You know you have months until you have to go back. Why don't you talk about lighter topics and leave the dower stuff for when you return?" I asked and he chuckled and answered "You think a dower pony like me has any light topics to talk about? Well you do the talking, I'm sick of using my tongue. Your sister is light incarnate so why don't you tell me all about her?"

I bit my lip and cursed my big mouth. "Celestia is just Celestia, you know she raises the son and rules over everypony and is loved by everypony due to her great leadership." He grinned and shook his head. "Surely you know more about your sister than that? I worked all that out just by looking at her. I thought you defeated a few evils together once upon a time."

My ears went flat and I sighed in sadness now and said "Well yes but that was years ago, centuries, in fact millennia and she has forgotten this. She prefers to think that she has always known best and has always been the leader just because she always took the lead doesn't mean I don't know how to lead a nation as well."

His grin widened and he pointed out "Look who's getting dower now huh. So you have big sister issue it doesn't matter because you are lucky my little Princess" he playfully mocked. "My friend Palade had to grow up with thirteen brothers and sisters, you have no idea what that will do to the mind of a guy having to share a two bedroom house with all of those annoying ponies."

He was laughing as if that were funny but to me it sounded quite sad and poverty stricken and reminded me of the times I'd lived in, though if the houses needed to be extended they usually would be.

He seemed happy and regarding what I'd seen earlier that was something to be thankful of. I felt happy too for some reason. The masses didn't love or respect me, my sister thought I was useless and I was still apparently on bad terms with coming to grips with what I'd done in my past and yet at that exact moment, talking to Dark Horizon and watching the moon just seemed to me like I was having the time of my life as he carried on talking about his friend and the ridiculous situations they got into.

"He's a strange one, he's got problems and all but maybe I can call him a friend for now. As long as he helps me draw up those damned contracts and doesn't go round kissing anymore brides" I thought to myself as we talked the night away before departing come the morning.


	11. Adjusting

**Adjusting**

The dreams came once more. I knew they would of course but maybe the hope that I could evade them had grown ever since Princess Luna had disrupted them with her meddling. This time however she respected my wishes and did not return to console me or find out what I'd done and I was forced to suffer through the event all over again.

I awoke to the silent sound and darkness of the night, the moon casting a pale light over my sweaty body. I rubbed my eyes and got up, shakily and a little dis-orientated. "If I could wish anything in the world it would be to just get a few good nights of sleep where I don't dream" I thought as I got ready and headed out to meet with the Princess once again.

The halls were empty as usual, guards every now and then, mostly guarding official rooms or on patrol for any thieves in the night or assassins, although the chances of one seemed to be almost nil as the Princess described the nation and all other nations as loving and tolerating of each other despite their differences. "If only it were that simple back home" I muttered as I remembered the destruction in my world, the different countries, races and classes all hating one another to the extent they'd shed blood. That's why having no class was easier and being equal simpler, of course there were those better off but it was a work in progress.

Not that being here had opened my mind up to new ideas about how to watch over and change my own land (if it was still under my leadership when I got back) but I was still dedicated to Ponyism and believed that what Lemming had laid down in foundation just needed time and effort to succeed globally. Of course I'd lost track of that but I realized now that I would have to do more if I ever returned and was not stuck here forever.

I trotted around the halls towards the observation tower as usual but stopped upon seeing Princess Luna's room. The door had "Do not Cross" ribbons across it and I ignored it and opened it up, seeing the real room of the Princess that she had to give up thanks to me. "I really should have never drunken that vial" I thought as I touched the cold marble pillar I had shot out from.

"I would imagine you miss it very much?" a voice from behind me echoed and turning I saw Princess Celestia stride in, her step echoing authority and her voice showing how well practiced she was at speaking officially yet still kindly.

"Well if our roles were reversed I'm sure that you would be missing your homeland as much as I miss mine right now" I explained and she nodded her head, her eyes coming up to meet mine as she asked in all innocence "Would I receive such a warm welcome as my sister and I have given you Supreme Commander?"

The question caught me off guard and she seemed to take my unsure look and press forward "I understand that your world is very deeply rooted in war and that many ponies die. I know that you're way of ruling of leading or whatever you call it is different and more… strict with emphasis on order and law. Here in Equestria we are rooted in magic and Harmony and have been for hundreds of years. We are doing very well with the system we have now and encouraging my sister to go off and start her own administration network based on your lands rules is something I cannot sit by and watch."

I blinked and my eyes locked with hers and I politely explained "Your sister is a ruler like your majesty and she deserves a little bit of independence. Now I would love your country to become like mine but I can see that the people here are happy so there is no reason for me to interfere. Your sister however asked for my help so I gave it to her and look my ideas are solid, you pile yourself up with work that is meaningless, let lesser ponies to you do it."

Princess Celestia snorted and almost laughed at what I'd said. "All decisions of state should be routed through me and me alone, that way it is easier for me to keep track of" she explained and I shook my head, replying "You don't need to decide if Equestria should spend money on fixing let's say a train line or building a new block of houses to a town, hire ministers and accesses and let them handle those things. Should you place a new statue in your honour or decide to tear down a ghetto then decide and they will get it done, don't bother filling in the paperwork though I mean your system is outdated to put it out there."

She scowled, insulted and shot back "At least it has prevented any full scale wars from erupting in centuries! Your land is a threat and that is why I have been able to devote Twilight to getting you back in four months instead of six. Once you leave I want you to promise that you will never return alone or with an army to Equestria."

I cocked my head and grinned and held up a hoof saying "So this is what it's all about really. You are afraid that the big, powerful nation of the United Republic will come back and take over your land? That is reasonable but then you are in a completely other dimension, or something like that. To do this unless you had a powerful resource would be difficult. Furthermore I actually like this land. Your sister likes me so why can I not come visit maybe?" I asked though in reality I would not likely visit and actually did consider invasion, though not as much as I had when I first arrived here.

"I rule Equestria Supreme Commander. You cannot walk all over me and if you do then expect blowback. We have no will to fight a bloody war in Equestria but as I said our magical essence is strong and we have the power to move moons and suns. You have power but you lack magic" she declared and I couldn't help but chortle snidely.

"I have plenty of magic, not as much as you but I have the soul of an all-powerful ancient tree inside me and if it can grant me immortality then it must be quite powerful magically" I said and she shook her head, explaining "You lack friends is what I am saying. Friendship is magic and all you show my sister and I is hostility and to think we are helping you!"

I had to take a moment to try and understand what the Princess was saying before I replied "Don't be absurd, friendship isn't magic, magic is just there and it always has been. Besides I have friends… in my world and they think that I am wise and powerful. Also don't forget that your sister thinks of me as a friend or at least an ok acquaintance."

Princess Celestia's scowl deepened and dropping all pretence of being friendly she commanded me "Stay away from Luna. She has been gone for many centuries, does not understand the way the world work now with all its dangers and social conventions. You are toying with her emotions and I cannot allow that. If I hear word of contact again I will have to find some other residence for you to stay in until the work with the portal to your world is complete."

I became riled as well and almost losing my temper I Sternly replied "No thanks your highness I like it here. Your sister likes having me here too and I for one am proud of her taking a stand against you and your archaic ways of ruling. I'm sorry for any hurt I've caused you in simply being here but you and I are stuck with each other and I must admit I'm not a great guy to be stuck around but I know how to rule over a country. Your sister does as well, you just never let her."

Princess Celestia seemed to almost get mad and her wings fluttered slightly and she settled down at the last minute and calmly replied "Ok then, you have made your views clear to me and I will respect them if you will not respect mine. I will be watching you though, you tread eggshells and if something breaks then I will not be held responsible for what I do to defend my country and my sister."

In saying that she stepped back, her horn lighting up in a golden aura and she said "I bid you farewell" before she disappeared in and intense flash of golden light that made me blink and shake my head. "What was that?" I asked myself as I went over to where Celestia had once been. "I want one of whatever does that" I thought as I caught sight of Princess Luna standing in the doorway with a grim look on her face.

I didn't react at first and simply stared at her before she said "My sister seems to dislike you." I shook myself out of my unreactive state and replied "Yes she seems to have me pinned as some kind of evil chaos creator that wants only to invade Equestria for its spoils and corrupt you against her."

Princess Luna sighed as she walked into her bedroom and said flatly "My sister is right." I blinked and tried to comprehend what she was saying and asked "She is right that I am a pony sole bent on evil and destruction?" (Which when you put it like that did not sound good).

"No not like that" Luna began "I hold in belief that your intentions of what you are to do when you leave Equestria are questionable. My sister thinks me dumb and unable to handle myself but I didn't need to see inside your dreams to tell that you have seen violence, dealt violence and are easily willing to deal it out again and with the resources of your land behind you, you could take Equestria for all its worth. You said yourself that you don't care about your citizens and play God."

I shook my head, hating myself and replied "No I didn't mean it like that. Look I had noble intentions with the Revolution with revenge being part of it but after that the country was a mess so I adapted and got side-tracked somehow things led to war and selfishness and I must blame myself for that but being here, talking with you and seeing how your world is has put a lot into perspective" I answered truthfully.

Princess Luna looked up, still frowning as she went to her balcony and gestured for me to follow. I did so and she asked "What has been put in perspective?" I sweated a little and explained "I am a harsh ruler; I have known this for some time. I have allowed fear of the people to cloud over my initial intentions and I must fix them and stop the war with the Griffons and allow freedom of speech in my land... to a certain degree. I at least need to know what ponies think of me really put to paper and not kept locked away for fear of what might happen if they even whispered it to one another.

Luna sighed as if she was unsure what to do with me and voiced my thoughts when she said "You are ruthless. I can see that in you and you have definitely done some bad things and for that I don't know what to think but I know that I have done bad things to. To my sister specifically but it hurt me also, ten times more when I realised what I'd really done. I don't know if I can trust you but I hope that I can at least trust you not to attack Equestria. I won't be as brash as my sister but the people here are wonderful but delicate and don't know of the things of your world.

She leaned over the balcony and looked out at her moon. You could probably force my sister and I to yield but my only fear is what happens after that? What would you do to Equestria and her ponies? How would you deal with my sister and me?"

The question was a fair one to ask me all considering but then I had, had enough dreams about executing Royals to know that I didn't want to repeat the mistakes of the past and make new ones by attacking an innocent dimension.

"I know you don't trust me Princess Luna but I swear" I said holding a hoof to my heart "That I will never use the military powers of The United Republic to return and conquer Equestria and furthermore will never do any harm to you or your sister."

Princess Luna smiled and nodded "Thank you Supreme Commander. I do so hope that you take back some lessons to your world when you return. I certainly know that I will have plenty to remember." She grinned and playfully asked "Why is it that you've been here for less than a week and you've already riled my sister and made her get out her commanding voice?"

I chuckled and replied "It is a talent I have with many ponies to get them angry. I tried to have a peaceful negotiation with the rulers of Maretonia once when they got dragged into the war but it…" I stopped when I realised that the negotiation had ended in the death of the Maretonian ambassador and made me take over the entire country, forming it into more of the U.R.S.P.

"Yes?" asked Princess Luna confused as to why I'd stopped my story. I shook my head and answered "It's not that funny a story. In fact it goes to show how little things can lead to full blown wars. Princess Luna nodded and went on "Jealousy, greed, lust are good starters of war. I always did enjoy a good romantic novel where the hero would burn his city to the ground to defend his one true love."

I frowned and said "I never really read that story. I haven't read many books in my life I am ashamed to say. In fact being here I have read more books in the past few days than I have in well over ten years." Princess Luna looked surprised and said "Books are a virtue. Does your world not read so much?"

I thought to all the heavy censorship and how strict the book codes were about reading and answered "We read but it is hard to find the time when you have work to do, especially when you have a huge nation to run." Princess Luna smiled and explained "The language has changed over the years but I have learned to adapt and read up on the technology and politics I've missed, more or less."

"Tell me then. Although I am stuck here for the next few months who exactly is the mare responsible for getting me cause your sister and a few others have mentioned her name and she seems quite famous around here." I asked to Luna who smiled and explained "Well It's Twilight what's to say? She's quite a powerful though young Princess and learning how to control her power through experience, as well as fly which is still a little bit rusty but she takes any challenge in her stride that sometimes my sister throws at her and others the evil at our borders and she takes them down."

I was curious to know what kind of evil Princess Luna was talking about and asked and she shrugged and replied "Well small things really. She stopped Discord from returning and then helped rehabilitate him, helped me adjust a little more to the world besides returning me to it by defeating the evil that resided inside me in the form of Nightmare Moon."

There were two things that interested me there and so I went for the first one and asked "Yeah this Discord guy. What is his game? What does he want out of all this?" since generally beings of chaos magic only wanted to ruin somepony else's day.

Princess Luna sighed loudly and threw up her hooves, exclaiming "I don't really know!? My sister tells me he is reformed and will help Equestria due to his relationship with one of the elements but I don't trust him at all. He will get bored of tea parties and having to constrict his chaos to his bedroom and take it back into the world. I am thankful that the elements are around to stop him however as without them I fear his dark magic would infest Equestria and turn the world literally on its head."

"Well he seemed a bit batty anyway" I replied as I brushed the ground with my hoof and asked, treading lightly on the topic "How did Twilight defeat you with a bunch of elements? The way I see that your magic already quite powerful if amplified by darkness would make you twice as strong as your sister and if this Twilight Sparkle is only a new Princess surely you could have matched her?"

Princess Luna shook her head and explained "Magic is something Equestria is known for. It's hidden everywhere, in the corners, relics and within us. I once wielded the elements with my sister and I must say that using their power was unlike anything I've ever felt. Besides making you feel good it seemed to negate anypony else's magic and work wonders on them. In my case it destroyed the evil within me and left me bare, weak and very sad but with Discord he was just all chaos and when my sister and I defeated him initially it turned him to stone. We really weren't expecting that."

These Elements sounded like a force to be reckoned with. I didn't know what magic I possessed thanks to that damn tree but I didn't want to put it to a test if it ever came to taking them on. Hopefully nothing would escalate though and the city would settle down and not notice the red stallion that'd caused quite the disruption that one day and ruined a few weddings and bakeries and trains.

What stops you and your sister from wielding them now?" I asked and Luna explained "We are no longer connected magically to them. That privilege is now belonging to Twilight and her little band of friends" she finished almost bitterly.

"I don't know about you but I could use a drink" I said shaking my head as I looked over the town and rubbed my eyes with a hoof. Princess Luna looked a little annoyed and asked "If you drink to forget then why haven't you forgotten your own name by now? You seem to have been drinking for quite a number of years; does it not leave any permanent scars on the mind?"

I actually thought about that, my expression one of confusion and my mouth agape, making me look a little like a simpleton and causing Princess Luna to smile. "Well I can say there has barely been a day that I haven't been sober apart from the past few days and I am really beginning to feel a need for a drink."

Princess Luna scowled and sensed that I was about to beg so I assured her "Don't worry I can survive without alcohol. Wine is for bourgeoisie anyway." Her scowl turned to another one of her typical frowns and she asked inquisitively "What does bour…boar… boat" she tried to pronounce the word and smiled and explained "It's a word from Prance that explains the rich or at least well off in society. They possess more than others and don't try to hide it. In the Republic of Soviet Ponies we don't have any more of them; instead we have farmers, soldiers and the workers of our glorious industry.

Princess Luna guffawed and asked "Then what does that make you? Or can peasants afford to buy castles and sleep on satin sheets?" I ignored her, my anger flaring and brushed her saying "I and a select few need to lead the land and require some privileges otherwise the state would get nowhere and there would be anarchy. So I fell back to some economic ways of the Imperial Family but in the end of the day the land was better off."

Princess Luna shrugged and backed off, saying "I am not one to judge but you are seeming to be at a crossroad where you can't decide if you've aided the land of getting rid of a tyrant or doomed it to your supposedly cruel and ruthless wrath."

I sighed and shook my head. "No I think that I've done both those things but you don't know what true poverty is like. My family tried to escape it by growing more food but others didn't have either the pony power or were too afraid and starved. Some say they even resorted to eating cows and their own family to survive whilst the Monarchy sat on their thrones and ate well and lived in their fancy castle that belonged to them because of obscure blood. My family however had to sleep on the floor, the hay having been eaten."

It had been a long time since I'd slept on the floor unless you included the times I was drunk and not sure where I was. Princess Luna looked sorry for me and offered me an apology, saying "Please I meant no reason to offend you or stir bad memories. I'm sure that with all you've told me you wish nothing else but to forget and get on with life."

"I wish I could just forget" I thought although I knew that was impossible and smiling and holding my head up high I coughed and excused her, telling her "There is no forgetting what I have suffered and what I have done. My family is dead and I have killed others. Some deserved and some not but all fell to my hoof and that is my punishment. The only way to forget is through drink, sleep doesn't help me forget, it helps to remember but liqueur helps. "

Princess Luna scrunched up her nose and took a deep breath as she tried to think of something to say. "My sister wants you to visit Twilight tomorrow; you'll be flown by Pegasi guards who'll remain with you until Twilight has done her tests and asked her questions. My sister wanted me to tell you as she thought that I did get on better with you, despite how she seems to hate our new ministers."

"How are your two new friends?" I asked and she kept that sad frown plastered to her face and replied "Melody has arranged a meeting with high level industry owners in Manehatten to try and secure donations to start a Night treasury to pay for Royal Night Affairs, being independent of the general treasury. Anti has printed posters of the Night guard in a striking pose and put details of how to enlist but my sister has forbidden distribution as it is seen as being aggressive and doesn't follow the harmonic principles of Equestria."

I shook my head. "Typical monarch that wants to cling to power" was what came to mind but in fairness Princess Celestia wasn't exactly a King Vitalis and instead did seem to be in favour with all "her" little ponies. Of course she'd had a thousand years to consolidate this power whilst Luna had a year and an evil legend behind her.

"Those two are smart, good choices on your part and will figure a way out to bring you money and fame and get you something to do. I know they will." I patted her on her shoulder and her wings ruffled. "There are reports of a wilder beast to the South of the Everfree Forest. My guards and I must deal with it."

I cocked an eyebrow and asked "What do you mean deal with it?" She grinned as she turned to leave. "Well everypony knows that monsters come out at night and who better to deal with them than the Princess of the Night and her loyal guards."

"Princess Luna I think we found something to get you publicity" I said as an idea began to form. "Go deal with this beast, I must talk with your friend Anti to form this idea in my head." I told her and she shrugged and answered "Sure, I have to go get the troops, I probably won't see you until tomorrow night so have a good night tonight."

I shrugged and sarcastically said "Being stuck in a foreign land and far away from any kind of alcohol that would make some impact on my brain is sure to leave me all worn out from excitement."


	12. Defender of the Night

**Defender of the Night**

It wasn't that my sister didn't have the skills to take down monsters. Far the contrary she had been protecting the land for far longer than I ever had and had taken down many a dark army or terrible magic that had ever really threatened Equestria. She was of course though always busy and monsters did enjoy taking night strolls when they got curious and this gave me something to do at least.

Ponies were certainly far wiser today of course and knew not to tread in certain areas and in particular the Everfree Forest, which I understood as having a lot more timber wolf activity recently although nothing out of the ordinary yet. That place was truly amazing magically with the Tree of Harmony residing in it that attracted all sorts of strange beings and made a manner of unusual things happen.

That was not of course where the beasts I had taken down tonight resided though; no instead It was off in the forests near Baltimare, a prosperous city that seemed to be in competition trade wise with Fillydelphia, all nice but each were determined to be the better city and have the fastest trade ships possible.

Of course trade needed supplies from out of town that came in by road where a pack of Manticore's had been sighted raiding the end of a caravan, nopony injured but all the supplies abandoned. I had flown by chariot with two of my guard and made sure to beat the creatures away, it was easy and routine and they would know better than to attack ponies ever again. Not a strategy I knew the small yellow Pegasus of the Kindness Element would use but then she didn't need to know more than beyond her cute little forest next to her cottage.

I was now flying back as the Night seemed to come to a close and after congratulating my comrades and lowering my moon we arrived to the sunset and Dark Horizon looking very smart and pleased with himself and Anti looking very nervously from him to me.

The chariot flew behind the castle and I teleported off after telling my guards and popped up behind them to ask "I suppose you both wanted to see me?" Their differing looks meant that Dark Horizon had done something he thought great and that Anti disliked so I guessed that it was definitely something regarding me.

Anti was the first to speak, pulling out a poster tucked into his saddlebags he stammered "The Supreme C-Commander decided that the poster for the recruitment of the guard could be tempered to cast you in a better light than just the sister of Princess Celestia" he showed me the poster, like before it had stars and a moon across it with guards in the background as I'd first seen it and the words "Join the Watchers of the Night" but now there was a picture of me with some kind of armour that I'd never seen before and brandishing a spear with my magic and yelling whilst fighting what seemed a hydra to the fore of everything whilst other guards took up positions around it. I saw now the words underneath say "Protectors of the Realm by Night" with lots of smaller enlist information and couldn't help but smile.

"The thought is touching but I'm afraid that my sister's answer to enlisting posters was a no" I said warmly, happy that they had spent time on propping up my image even though it was all for nothing. That's when I noticed Anti's shoulder sag and my expression changed from a warm one to a worried one and I asked "Whatever is the matter Anti? Are you tired?"

Anti tried not to look me in my eye as he mumbled "We already printed over 5000 posters and sent by mail distributed them all over the city's most famous landmarks and public buildings." I blinked and looked away from the ashamed Anti to the grinning Dark Horizon and asked him "Are you trying to make my sister throw you in a dungeon? You can't distribute posters without her authority!"

He shook his head and replied "No I can distribute it with you authority Princess and I believe that posters will make ponies think twice about you as well as recruit others to the guard. Now sign this document so it looks like you actually did order the distribution of these posters or else your sister has authority to tear them all down."

I blinked as he pulled a quill and parchment from Anti's saddlebag, Anti still looking to the floor with such concentration it was like he was trying to will the Earth beneath him to fall away like his current predicament. Of course I didn't blame him but then I really should've since he had more authority now that he was a Minister than some foreign guest no matter how convincing he was.

The pen floated by me and I swatted it away stating "I will not lie to cover up your mistake. I will go apologise to my sister and offer my guard to take the posters down before too many see it but…" I stopped as a grey Pegasus pony with a fine hat strolled up to me with the poster in his right hoof.

We all stared as he asked "Are you…Princess Luna? Defender of all ponies by night?" I raised an eyebrow and looked completely away from the other two and replied in a mellow tone "Yes loyal subject. Have you come to complain about the poster?"

He seemed taken aback and he chuckled lightly but stopped and became serious when he saw I was not laughing or smiling or in any way indicating that I as being funny. "N-No I just came to sign up, says here to report to the castle and well… here I am."

I couched and turned to see that Dark Horizon was pressing the parchment with the order to distribute recruitment posters to my face and trying not to look smug. "If this causes arguments between my sister and I Supreme Commander I swear your new quarters will be in the dungeon" I shot at him as I grabbed the quill with my magic and quickly scribbled my signature.

"Excellent work Princess. Anti will now go take this to the Assistant of Princess Celestia to make sure Princess Celestia does nothing rash with the posters before knowing they were officially ordered and now Glass Light will take down all the information of the recruitment candidate here."

I stared at him and asked ludicrously "Who in Equestria is Glass Light? When suddenly a bustling little Unicorn with big glasses brushed past me to face me and bowed deeply. His cutiemark was of a parchment showing him as a scribe and I looked at Anti and he shrugged apologetically explaining "He's my assistant."

I shook my head worriedly and asked "How much will this cost though, my sister can easily cut off funds if she redirects them somewhere else, and we have no way to form income. We cannot hire anypony else she already has stressed how much she hates Melody and Anti being in charge of official documents and walking the castle.

Dark Horizon walked away from the two ponies; on talking about himself and the other scribbling away furiously with a quill and frowning when another pony began to approach with a poster. "Melody has tried to get you to meet with some capital… I mean Industrialists that own factories in the Industrial zone of Manehatten but they will only come today and in about an hour which means you must be present in your office then or else they will instead be received by your sister."

I was tired and not sure if I could handle talking to some rich windbags but Dark Horizon pushed "She hopes that if you get there generous support that you will in return give them rights to buy land at half price from the outskirts of Baltimare that they can use to set up more factories and do more business thanks to the local port.

I was overwhelmed by all that was happening and stuttered "Ok j-just take let's go to my office and then explain everything there ok. Tell me exactly what you have been doing whilst I've been kicking Manticore hides.

We trotted in silence and when I got to my office I found my big desk neat and tidy, the law books of Equestria in the shelves behind, making it look like a very classy office and three armchairs were in a half circle opposite the desk. Melody was there with a file and she instantly hopped off a chair and said "Forgive me Princess but these ponies don't mess around, they wanted it now or never so I chose now and I think they'll be here soon, just read this and let the Supreme Commander inform you, I've explained it all to him" she said quickly before disappearing.

"What in Tartarus is going on!?" I yelled as she left the room and the Supreme Commander took a chair. "What?" he asked as if he didn't know and I cursed and replied "You know what! I'm meeting with industrialists in under an hour after a heavy night. I have ponies coming up to me with awe on their faces thinking I am some warrior goddess and now I'll have to deal with blowback from my sister!"

The Supreme Commander shrugged all this off like it was some kind of a joke and replied "Hey you going to have guards entirely to the night to guard the night. You will have funds to ensure your sister does not tamper and to organize events in your name. You will have staff to sort out events and future dealings you are sure to have. This is everything you wanted and it has been achieved in a week!"

He rose getting angry. "I have worked all night with your little friends I suggested hiring to you in the first place to come up with ways to get you noticed and this will get you noticed by more than ponies and your sister. The Press I see is big here and they will want statements and interviews that you shall give them. You will bolster your image and this will bolster your popularity with the fickle nobles who will come to respect and listen to you. All thanks to me! Now take some direction in your life and get ready to seal a deal to make this all possible!" he slammed his hooves onto the table and looked up at me.

I was feeling upset at his anger but overwhelmingly guilty that I hadn't even given him a proper thank you for all that he had done for me to make me a true ruler again. "Thank you Dark Horizon" I said using his name that he so hated to hear.

"Don't mention it Luna" he replied and we both couldn't help but smile as he got up to leave me to read the file from Melody resting on my desk. I decided that from now on I would have to thank him more for what he'd already done. If anything he seemed to know how to manoeuvre a situation to make me look good even if he had his faults.

He left, closing the door behind him with his magic and I sighed as I sat down to read the file that gave the instructions to first of all "Stick to the plan and make no concessions, this is beyond fair" written in the sarcastic tone Melody used when discussing a lot of things.

I was able to just finish the file when Melody knocked and entered saying "They're here for you Princess" to which I nodded and she turned back away from the slightly open door and told the ponies behind "The Princess will receive you now" very formally and well-practiced.

I took a deep breath as three ponies filed in and like the file had said I summed them all up immediately. The first that sat to the left was a grey and blading plump, elderly Earth Pony with a very old looking moustache and a cutie mark with a steel girder on it. The second was a rather handsome but stern looking black stallion Pegasus who looked more like a model than a buissnesspony and had money for a cutiemark. The final was strange, a bright orange mare with pursed lips and green hair that had instead a wave for a cutiemark. All three wore suits and looked like they had for a long time.

"Good Morning" I greeted them and they all bowed their head, the first stating "Good Morning Princess Luna, Iron Speech, owner of Manhattan's chief steel factories at your service. The younger pony who sat in the middle spoke up as "Slick Gold, chairman of the board of Coal Co. Equestria's leading coal supplier" he reached up and took my hoof, kissing it softly.

Had I been younger I might have blushed but instead I bid him "Nice to meet you" and retracted my hoof. The final pony, a mare Earth Pony waited a moment before lowering her head and introducing herself as "Orange Peppermint, Owner or the Baltimare Merchant Navy."

I felt like she was a particularly special pony to look out for but then I was not sure how I should deal with all the ponies here today so quickly pushed forward with "The introductions are finished. Let us get to the business at hoof."

The young pony, charming of course but with no respect as the first to begin by asking "How does your sister feel about this back hoof deal with us?" The room was quiet but now it became stone silent as I told him quite clearly "Get out of my office and I swear that I will not break you pretty little face."

He chuckled and I stood up and with the Canterlot voice yelled "You shall never darken within the doorways of this castle again! Leave now or you shall suffer great consequences to not only your face but your entire business!" His mane had blown back with the force of my voice and the other two ponies were clearly in shock.

He stood up, suddenly frail and fixed his hair before walking out, muttering "I would never have dealt with the laughing stock of Equestria anyway" and with that he stormed out the door and down the hall. The other two looked on after him and back at my sour face that I tried to soften. "One down two to go, come on Luna" I thought as I corrected my crown and sat down.

"I'll put it straight. You both know the deal I have here for you and you both know that in doing this you fall out of favour with my sister. However this deal will make your companies grow greatly over the next few years as long as you pay into the Night Treasury a reasonable amount here each month for the next two years. "I passed a piece of paper over to both of them and they looked at it sceptically.

Iron Speech looked up into my steely eyes and pushed the paper back across the table. "Regretfully I cannot accept at this time Princess. My Company is not needed at the moment, Equestria's famous city boom is coming to an end and more steel would be a waste of time. I'm sorry for troubling you but good day" and like that he too was out, bowing and leaving respectfully.

"Well I seem to have blown it" I thought as I almost settled into a slump when suddenly Orange Peppermint spoke up, saying "I don't want any land your highness, Instead I request something more from you that will solve both out problems I feel."

I shot up, listening and hoping that this wouldn't be some kind of trick. "I am willing to pay double the monthly amount over the next four years if you can sign a deal with me that will ensure the safety of the Merchant Navy for that period of time until we can again renew it."

I cocked my head and asked "Safety? What is the matter with the merchant ships?" The mare seemed to have answered this question before as she explained "Oh an endless number of things Princess. Sea Dragons are one, pirates another. All steal or destroy part of the convoys every few weeks and it damages business and it is a hard business to trade. If you can ensure the safety of the main trade routes in the Future I will pay and not only this but I will spread the word of you around to other ponies that might want some investment with the Night."

I stood up and shakily reached out my hand, not sure what I was doing as I said "It's a done deal Miss Peppermint." She smiled as she retrieved documents from a small bag behind her and pushed a contract plain and simple with no clauses over to me. I read it thrice before I signed it and she signed it too, then another copy for me to keep and she bowed her head and stood to leave. "Of course I shall give you two months to prepare but after that I expect protection, or else will go to your sister for the help I asked for" she smiled after that, those lips making her look horrible as she left and my mouth dropped as I just realised I'd sealed a deal with Cerberus.

She left the door and instantly Dark Horizon slipped in with a smile on his face, he'd obviously been listening in and he asked "How'd it go then?" His smile turned to a frown to match mine and he asked "What's the matter Luna? I thought that she signed a contract with you from what little I could hear from the keyhole."

I sighed and tried to smile but it was weak as I replied "It was the wrong contract. Now I need to ask my sister for help. There is no way I can protect her ships on my own." His frown deepened and I explained how she wanted me to defend the merchant navy and his frown turned to a chuckle and he playfully jabbed my hoof that was not at all like his regal form he usually kept.

"Just set the task to the navy silly" he said with that thick accent that sounded most comical "That is what a navy is meant to do you know. Protect the sea and do all the things like that, I'm actually surprised that nopony thought about exploiting this before I bet you could have gotten an even better deal from the capitalist mare with the beady eyes of greed."

I sighed and splayed my fore hooves out. "That's just the think Dark Horizon, there is no Equestria navy." I tried not to look at his face but out of the corner of my eye could see that he was thinking deeply. He really had done a lot for me, I was thankful that we were doing a lot for him as well and hoped that we would get him home soon.

"There is no problem Princess. We shall simply build one" he explained determinedly and I couldn't help but rub my eyes. "I need to get some sleep" I thought as my head slid onto the desk in not quite complete defeat but complete hopelessness.


	13. Friendship

**Friendship**

I listened outside as the meeting went away. I was feeling good that I was helping Luna to achieve her goal of becoming the true ruler I knew she always was. Never in my wildest dreams, that were really only nightmares did I believe that someday I'd actually enjoy helping a Royal but the challenge reminded me of the early days of the U.R.S.P.

It was till surprising really but then I supposed it was ok if it was ultimately to help the ponies of the land. Besides I was the Supreme Commander, nopony told me what I could or could not do. About a minute into the meeting with the ponies a huge voice shunned away what could only have been the young pony who had the slick look and arrogant attitude.

"I would never have dealt with the laughing stock of Equestria anyway" he muttered sarcastically as he threw open Luna's office door and swaggered out very pompously. He would have walked into me had I not side-stepped him and he mumbled "Fake Princess and other insults to Luna under his breath as he left.

With my magic I looked over to a chandelier with electric bulbs in it above him and wordlessly, forced one from it and levitated it above his head before, with some extra force I let it fly, it cracking him on the head and smashing across his skull.

He cried out in pain and whimpered as he fell over his own hooves and held his fore-hooves to his head in pain. "What in the name of?" he asked as he looked over to me, his teeth gritted and he head bleeding slightly.

I stared back at him, intensely but hinted to nothing about my part in his unfortunate accident. He looked up at the chandelier, blushed and got up, still with a hoof to his head as he staggered away in pain and with probably a very fine headache that would last a while.

I smiled and was glad that I could if not have him thrown in jail at least cause him some light suffering for the upset he's probably caused Luna. I then returned my attention to the door however and was able to catch the old and respectful steel factory owner apologize as he got up and left.

I let him past and thought that out of all capitalists there could be worst but still reminded myself he was rich whilst his workers were likely paid the minimum wage. I listened instead to all the following conversation with the mare Orange Peppermint and was amazed by the real reason that she was here for.

When Luna agreed to the terms I was thankful that this endeavour had not been wasted and when she'd left went to congratulate the Princess on her first meeting with the capitalist scum of which one seemed to have paid double her amount for double the amount of time originally organized.

Of course the deal had sounded sweet to my ears but with Luna explaining that there was no such thing as an Equestrian navy I had to be absolutely shocked that Equestria had absolutely no navy but for a few diplomatic ships that were fast and lightly armed.

Of course this challenge was straight up my alley. The Royal Navy had been sunk by the Admirals when Canterlot fell and many escaped to other nations to seek asylum meaning the Soviet navy was little to nothing. I had more experienced ponies back then to help me but I had paid close attention to rebuilding the navy in the first few months with a limited budget and knew that the two things we needed were steel and coal and then the rest was just wood and a lot of designing that others would do.

"There is no problem Princess. We shall simply build one" I told the Princess who then slumped her head onto her hooves on her desk and murmured something into her fur. I realised she was tired and knew that I myself was tired as well having been up all night and now the day well away.

"Go to bed Princess, I am going to call Anti and Melody immediately and discuss some things. Do not mention anything to your sister and tomorrow night I will brief you on how this is going to work, you can trust me though that we are going to make sure that you get a continuous flow of income into the treasury and prestige for you and the crown will go up by the end of this endeavour but I must plan."

She wanted to protest but was far too tired to do anything except moan and mutter "Just don't start any wars. Thank you Supreme Commander" before she rose and left to go and get some much needed sleep. I watched her go and my expression became stern.

A navy was no simple matter and required crew as well as supplies to maintain that would be stretching it with the money that the mare of the merchant navy had agreed on. I took the paper and remembered her telling Luna that it was double this.

I found a messenger boy and ordered him to find Anti and Melody and make them report to me immediately. It was a while, twenty minutes in all before they tiredly knocked upon Luna's door to which I opened with my magic.

"Please no more posters, the guards had to close the gates due to the flux of Night Guard wannabes seeking recruitment from a single scribe that can only write so fast" Anti begged and I waved my hoof and stood up and asked "You love Princess Luna with your dear hearts and would die for her no?"

They were taken aback by the question and instantly woke up and nodded quickly and explained how devoted they were before I passed the piece of paper with the sum of money on it to Melody. "I need you to secure double this amount from the Equestrian Merchant Navy as this month's first payment" I told her and she cocked her head in puzzlement.

"They bought double the land did they?" she asked and I shook my head and explained the current predicament we were in, having to protect a civilian navy with no military navy at our disposal. "Sweet Celestia we are doomed to failure" Melody called out to the disapproval of Anti who shook his head and pushed "We can do it, but I don't know the first thing about ships, never even learned to swim."

I noted that little fact for later and explained "I need you both to report to me in this case. Now I know I am both a foreigner and you both view me with suspicion but would you like me to tell you what will happen if we do not build a navy for Princess Luna?"

They both neither nodded or shook their heads and simply stared a little worriedly at me as I explained "Princess Luna will be shunned as a liar by the nobles and industrialists and this reputation will destroy her chances of making any headway to becoming a great ruler again and make you redundant so do you want that?"

They both shook their head, Melody mumbling and Anti sighing "I guess not" whilst trying not to look sad. "Good" I said as I went over to the left wall with a map of Equestria and pointed to Baltimare. "Anti contact a small ship company and order them to set up preparations to build a ship building and launching sight to the east of Horseshoe Bay and tell them to be as discreet as possible, Melody will help with the funds she will secure today, use the Princess's Royal seal in her desk if you need to. After I want you to meet with the coal miner and the steel Factory owner and order secure deals with them to transport the steel and Coal necessary to build six Ironclad battleships" I told them and they both stared dumbly at my orders.

"Sorry Sir but what is an Ironclad?" Anti asked confusedly and I sighed and explained "It's a ship that is actually far outdated in my time but looking through your library I found the Griffons have them so they will know how to build them and if not pay the firm extra, these ships must be grand though or the deal is off. Research all you need, make sure you spend all within reason and if you need more money I will see if there is something we can do. Keep it between you, me and the ponies you deal with though and report to me with any new developments."

Anti had begun to write everything down and Melody, usually cold and calm was now looking a little unnerved with all the things she would have to do with the money that hadn't even been given to the new Night Treasury.

They both sat there and looked tired as ever and I wondered if I should tell them to catch some hours sleep before doing their separate tasks but then shrugged the idea away. "They are supposed to be stressed, grants experience to handle situations like this in the future."

"What are you waiting for? Hop to it!" I shooed at them and they kicked into action, Melody heading for the Royal Bank of Canterlot and Anti heading to a telegram office to look up and send a message to a small Baltimare ship building firm with the order to set up place in Horseshoe Bay by orders of the Princess, or me at least acting on behalf of the Princess.

I yawned and sat back against the chair or the Princess's desk and took the time to wonder what my world was like. Being here was a nice break and I felt better for it. Mellow and at peace or a certain level of peace at least but I worried over the state. Had it collapsed already or were the Generals and Ministers all arguing over something? Was the Government at war with itself or all expecting my miraculous return?

I sighed and stood up and headed off to the library, there was work to do and I sure as hell wasn't going to get any done by sitting on my rear and moping about my world. I trotted out of the still relatively empty office towards the library tower from which I had read the small amount of history on Equestria.

I had caught site of what I could only describe as an Ironclad, the great wooden ship with a layered hull of steel with steel supports and armour to protect it from artillery fire. It seemed that Equestria did have the cannon, though only for show and not fortifications so it would at least be good protection from pirates and if they could use the propulsion of the screw then it would be almost unmatched for speed throughout the land though I wasn't sure about the existence of this.

I reached the library and set out in search of where I had caught site of the Ironclad but to my dismay I saw it was in the very strange paws/claws of the strange dragon like Discord that licked one every time he turned a page in the book he was reading.

My face fixated into a scowl and I asked "What is it that you want Lord of Chaos? I believed that you were on a vacation?"

He waved his hand in the air and explained "I've never been a pony for the beach the sand simply gets everywhere and you don't know how it feels to go on vacation alone even with all the chaos at my disposal but then you wouldn't know anything about evil or chaos would you now Dark Horizon?"

I gasped and my eyes narrowed and I demanded "How do you know that name!? Have you been spying on my conversations with Luna?" I was angry but also a little fearful of when exactly this strange beast had seen me as I had been in various different moods over the past week. Angry, drunk and that time I fell off the tower after Luna had smacked me in the face again were some examples of moments when I wasn't at my best.

"Oh so it's just Luna, my you must be getting chummy. However come on I'd hardly call it spying I mean I hear that you know much about spying so you'd know I mean you are a ruler and it appears from word around town that you have your own spy ring, which I personally think is jolly good fun!" the book with the precious information inside disappeared into grains of sand and I gritted my teeth.

Look you dragon like beast you are stepping on ground most dangerous here by annoying me so I would recommend leaving me alone and going off with somepony else who'd care about what you have to say!"

He chuckled and in a poof he was tiny and sitting on my shoulder and squeakily remarking in my right ear "You're no fun. Maybe I can go tell Princess Celestia all your plans about building a navy for little Lulu. My she would not like the idea of her sister making secret deals behind her back and creating a completely new force that could potentially threaten other nations" he gasped as if this was new, shocking news to him and I tried to shake him off when suddenly he was no longer there but instead leaning against the large observation window pane to the tower.

"Now you see I have a mighty respect for the Princesses, oh no I really do I mean not many could defeat mwah and take over ruler ship of the land but they did and for that I give them a gold star."

"You though wish to further upset the little smidge of a divide they have going between them and I personally love that. Creating chaos without even summoning an ounce of magic, inspired so I won't let the bag out of the cat, your secret is completely safe with me. Yes you can count on me to be paying close attention to every little move you do these next few weeks."

This guy was not only crazy but evil and the nice kind that didn't like the execution but the descent into madness. "I don't intend to split up the sisters. I intend to help Princess Luna for the kindness she has shown to me and also because she is the only pony who has sought out to actually talk to me without requesting I don't blow up Equestria when I return to my own time."

Discord looked bored as he asked "Didn't she slap you twice already, once almost sending you to become a splat on the ground to me scooped up the next day by the cleaning staff?" I didn't answer him and demanded "Put the book back together and get out of here."

"Tsk" he uttered and snapped his fingers and suddenly the book literally jumped back into its true form and into my hooves. "You are indeed a mystery my friend. Also why the hammer and the sickle really because that seems so bizarre I mean what are you good at doing? Nailing some wood or farming? Whatever it looks like you cannot do both with ease, why you are a weakling."

Now he was just trying to make me mad and I yelled The Hammer is the workers the sickle the Farmers and I once had the strength of four ponies put together I'll have you know!"

He grinned and dusted his shoulder before he bid "Goodbye now my little pony I'm sure you won't disappoint me in causing a bit of fun around here. I must say that the Princess is looking good today from down there" he pointed out the window as he turned into a buzzing fly that seemed to mock me and buzzed off.

I looked out the window to see the Princess striding crossly towards the Library tower and considered that she was either mad about the poster thing or furious about the navy thing that could only mean somepony had spilled the beans. Either way I put the Ironclad book away to limit the amount of conflict I was about to have.

"Negotiation face Dark you need to look innocent, bluff and look like butter wouldn't melt in your mouth." I was tired and not intending to have a word battle right now. I'd spent half the night convincing Anti to print posters, the other half helping him distribute them and I'd stayed up to show Luna the final result and now I was helping her build a navy.

"This deal seems to be fairly one-sided" I thought but then of course remembered that I had to get home somehow and in my reality I'd have probably just shot me and then launched an investigation but not before tripling the guard, again for the hundredth time in that century.

Arguing with the Princess was tense and I wondered if she'd ever take action against what she likely considered a threat to her rule but I had nothing else to think about accept maintaining a good posture as she ascended the steps with a surprisingly neutral face.

"Good evening Princess Celestia" I greeted her and she nodded her head in acknowledgement and replied "Good Evening Supreme Commander, I see you are up rather late today. Interested in some of Canterlot's finest books?"

I chuckled casually and replied "Well being trapped here for a while, I should learn about your world and not remain in ignorance, who knows you might have useful information that I can use upon my return home."

Celestia sighed and it was clear that she had not come to argue and instead she said something that completely surprised me. "I have to thank you for what you have done for Luna and me. She has been struggling adjusting to life ever since she returned from her banishment and although I am her sister it is still hard to mend such a relationship fractured by evil as ours."

I remained silent as she paced the room and carried on "She has struggled with taking on the role as ruler once more and I can't deny she has not taken to the modern times with much enthusiasm, not that I ever would expect her to as they are so far apart from the time she remembers."

"Well I think she is adjusted just fine your majesty but she wants some independence and personally I think that Equestria would benefit from a government, a sort of Constitutional Monarchy that the Crystal Empire became three hundred years ago. Sure it is nothing compared to Ponyism but it would be a step in the right direction I believe and take some of the weight of the nation from your shoulders."

Princess Celestia smiled and shook her head "Oh but we are much content with the way things are. My subjects are like my family Supreme Commander and that is to say I protect them with everything I have. They come first, not the state and we are all happy with the way things are so there is no reason to change it. No war, no great disease, no economic meltdown. We are all content."

I shrugged, not wanting to cause and argument and leaned against the bookshelf. "Don't you have overwhelming amounts of Princess work to be doing?" I asked and she nodded her head in affirmative and turned to me and asked of me something surprising since our conversation this morning.

"Luna will have her guard, she can keep her assistant and she can take a look at maybe some small matters but she is not ready to become a ruler in these modern days. I ask of you to dissuade her from going too far and not aid her in doing so. Although your world is different I can tell you understand the modern times and that is what makes you as valuable as a friend to Luna."

I furrowed my brow and said "I'm sure she also thinks of me as kind of a friend. We get on really well, she's got some troubles and I've got some troubles, what separates them might be some bloodshed but in the end of the day I feel that we relate in a way to each other. I'm not just some politician I am a revolutionary and to quote her I "fascinate" her."

Princess Celestia frowned and turned to leave, uttering "Just don't lead her on a path she'll regret. Just support her until you need to go home and then please be on your way."

She began trotting away and I was about to say something witty but she suddenly vanished in a flash of light, almost as if she had been vaporized. Luna had mentioned it being called teleportation and that only the most talented and powerful Unicorns would be able to do it.

"I'm pretty strong and talented" I thought as I clutched the book with the information I needed on the Ironclad. I should learn how to do that so I can escape the cave when I travel back through the portal" I thought as I sat down to study the book with the ship that was going to take up the main force of the Royal Navy.


	14. No Going Back

**No Going Back**

I had immediately fallen asleep when my head hit the pillow. In truth maybe a little before then as I was just so drained from the small fight and all the meetings and excitement of last night. When I got to my temporary room however it was way past my bedtime and now I was paying the price and having another strange dream.

It was like the one I'd had days ago. The castle throne room was black and white except for the banners of red which flew. Why I kept dreaming about Dark Horizon's world I had no idea but I hoped that these dreams were not some kind of premonition.

"No Princess Luna, these are not premonitions but ancient history that you see before you" a voice, loud and clear sounded throughout the throne room and I spun round in shock to see the face of a male Alicorn, a large beard and a spectacular white uniform with medals and braids pinned to it like Dark Horizon's but somehow older.

He smiled weakly, and he looked weak and very frail indeed. His eyes were sunken and it appeared that he hadn't slept in millennia. What else about him I could not tell because of the black and white but he seemed to know what I was thinking and he explained "White coat and a black mane Princess, like my Father before me and his and so on I have inherited."

He spoke with the thick accent Dark Horizon had but with such class and elegance it was obvious not just by the fact he was an Alicorn that he was none other than the King that Dark Horizon had described as a tyrant.

"Yes I am indeed King Vitalis, though I wouldn't go as far to say I was a tyrant" he replied to the question I'd never asked and then stepped back and ascended the steps to his throne where he dusted it off and sat with a yawn.

"You wonder why you are here and why you are dreaming of me when you have never even met me" he told me and all I could seem to do was not in affirmative to that, all other response seeming futile because he could seemingly read my mind.

My family reigned for over a thousand years. We fought and won seven wars, put down nine rebellions and built countless monuments and cities in our name. However five hundred years previous from the time Dark Horizon came from, our way was destroyed by him and my family and I executed for our tyrannical ways."

He took a breath and carried on, saying "You're here because the Supreme Commander is special. You have seen his dreams, well nightmares that involve us though you have not seen them all. You have not seen the face of my son as he bled to death on an execution platform watched my hundreds nor heard the scream of my wife as she saw her daughters die. He has though and that is why he goes back to see it every night, so that he forever knows what he's done."

I was confused as to why he was telling me such vile things about Dark Horizon's past and he grinned knowing my thoughts and explained "He was a peasant whose family died because they disobeyed the law. I blame myself personally, I was a weak ruler and never made the right decisions, the country was headed this way. Modern times calling for change and such but not like that. I tell you these things as a warning dear Princess, from one Monarch to another that he is evil, it resides within him and it taints all around him. It will taint you and your sister too if you let it. When you can sneak into his room and cut his throat whilst he slumbers. It will kill him and his evil and restore balance to all as well as avenging me and my family."

I blinked and barred my teeth before shouting "You can't tell me what to do, besides you are an evil King, the likes of Sombra who made his people suffer such hardship and despair, working your people to death for your own benefit. Why could you have not simply let them have more land to grow food? Was it so hard to give away a tiny piece of land?"

He rose from his throne with an almost fatherly look and sighed. "He has you in his hooves I see. Your sister is right you know. You should not hand power away, it will only make you weaker and them stronger and they will learn this in time and then bite the hoof that feeds them."

"Ponies where I come from are happy, your ponies were a mess, you led them to almost destruction and instead they rose up and destroyed you. I'm actually glad that you were defeated" I retaliated angrily and he now strode with fury towards me.

"My entire line is dead, the prestige of Equestria dead and you don't know how much worse it was after the Reds marched into Canterlot. Many killed or looted the nobles mansions and burned them, sometimes with ponies still inside. Other cities killed factory owners and managers and torched their buildings too" he spat.

I coughed and tried to take a different tone he held up his hoof and said "Maybe it's better that I show you exactly how we suffered at the hands of the Supreme Commander of the traitorous wretches of Equestria!" and suddenly I began to feel woozy and then my vision changed until I was standing atop the Canterlot observation tower.

I felt different, panicked and angry and somehow confused as to how I had gotten into this situation. My vision cleared and I looked down to see tens of thousands of ponies storming through the city, buildings burned, black smoke choking the sunny sky and flags of a patchwork red fluttered up main streets amid a roar of shouts and cheers.

I looked to the castle gates where there were hastily made fortifications, sandbags and dirt from the gardens piled up behind it and the strong Iron doors barricaded with wood and other objects to prevent entry.

"How long do you believe we can hold them off your majesty?" asked a Unicorn behind me clad in a pristine Uniform. My head turned and I replied though not my voice but the voice of King Vitalis "Not long, a few hours at least, half a day at most. The Royal Guard is some of the best trained soldiers in Equestria but they number four hundred against over fort-thousand and they have our artillery, there is no escaping this."

I began, or King Vitalis began to pace and another pony standing to my left asked "What of the project sir? Can we not escape through that?" I shook my head and gruffly answered "Too dangerous, it is not yet calibrated. Had they held off their attack for a few days we could have but they attacked immediately. This battle will be our last."

Suddenly the sky rang out with gunfire as waves of Pegasi made their way through the air towards us. Some brandished pikes or farm tools whilst others carried what seemed like longer, wooden versions of the firearm Dark Horizon had shown me.

"We must go your highness!" a guard yelled and grabbed hold of me by the shoulder as four Pegasi guards rose to the sky with their own weapons. One of the generals fell from behind, shot through the shoulder and collapsed to the floors in pain, crying out for help.

I ran with my guards to the throne room as a huge explosion shook the castle and a marble pillar collapsed through a stained glass window with pictures of my family's deeds throughout history. I was saddened but didn't have the time to mourn the loss of a few pictures.

"Where is my family!?" I demanded and a guard quickly explained "In the safe room on the east side of the castle sir with the scribes, we need orders sir. Is there some kind of a plan? I looked at him with my mouth hanging ajar like some simpleton and shook my head, climbing atop my throne as my generals and chief of staff looked at me for answers I neither had nor would ever have again.

"My friends and subjects, this is the end of all things, the end of Equestria. Go, find loved ones or family within the castle, muster a last stand and remember that you are Equestrian to the end and will die like an Equestrian!"

My speech was half-heartened, the younger guards didn't want to die and the older guards were too gritty to care about speeches. Some took my message though and quickly hurried out the door whilst others stayed by my throne, cowering, crying or simply meditating as cannon, gunfire and magical explosions erupted all around us.

Suddenly everything was fixed, I was back in the Throne room with the red banners and King Vitalis's face looking at me with great sadness. "Do you see now why he is an evil pony?" he asked me and I had to admit what had occurred had shook me. The burning buildings, dead everywhere and anger in the hearts of everypony were things I had never seen on a scale this big before and it made me feel sick, so sick I nearly threw up there and then.

I had the strength however, despite how shaky my legs were to say "He… is not evil. You are evil and did this, driving ponies to near madness. Starvation and disease are what brought you down and your foolishness to not see the needs of the people. You are a foal and I will not speak with you, be you a voice from the past or a dream!"

I felt his anger all around me dissipate and he sighed and instead looked like he was about to cry. "Very well then, I'll leave you with one last thing to remember" and then suddenly my world began to spin and then I was in the middle of a wooden stand next to King Vitalis and what must have been his family.

Crowds stood around, some cheering others in a morbid silence and in front ten shaggy looking Unicorns with weapons and dressed in patchwork uniform's stood to attention, many looking fearful as well. What must have been an officer looked up above to the castle Throne Room balcony, as did I as it seemed my limbs were fixated in place and I couldn't turn.

I saw three ponies, one of them being Dark Horizon, dressed in a dirt brown coat with a short, messy mane to go with it. The other wore glasses and had a balding head and the other wore a cap and even from here I could tell had a grim expression.

Next to him was his wife, a teary eyed Unicorn mare who was sobbing and besides her a young Unicorn stallion head held high and then a younger colt, also a Unicorn who was crying too. Two fillies, both Alicorn stood finally holding hooves and looking confused.

"What, is this the execution?" I asked King Vitalis but he seemed to either ignore me or not even know I was there, likely the latter. Suddenly everypony became quiet and a voice amplification spell must have been cast as Dark Horizon in his deep booming voice began to talk to the whole crowd.

"Monarchs of the Great Nation of Equestria. You are charged with the crimes of neglect of the people. Your people who have in past times fought and died for you, farmed and mined for you and worked and laboured for you. You have neglected them, refusing to carry our nation forward and have instilled fear into their hearts, abducting ponies in the night, taking ponies to join you outrageously large army and forbidding the right to grow food on your endless lands. For this among an endless list of crimes I sentence you all to death here this day. May Tartarus give you no mercy and treat you as the dogs you are!" he yelled and he nodded to the officer who looked back to his men.

"Raise rifles!" he ordered and I looked from Dark Horizon to King Vitalis who was staring blankly ahead. I'd seen what those things did to that pony before and I didn't want to experience that and I began to get very afraid and tried to move.

"Ok King Vitalis you got your way now let me go!" I screamed as I strained to pull myself away from my invisible restraints. Ten shaky rifles were raised followed by the command from the officer to "Take aim!"

I was right in the line of fire as were the little fillies and colt and I tried desperately to escape but my magic didn't seem to work. "Supreme Commander!" I screamed up at him, begging him to stop but he just ignored me as the officer raised his hoof and yelled "Fire!"

A tremendous bang awoke me and I fell out of my bed, sweating and clasping at my chest in pain and distress. I was hyperventilating and shaking like a tree in a storm and outside I could see that there was indeed a storm, a scheduled one from what I remember that was planned to last about three days.

"By the moon that was almost real" I coughed as I tried to calm myself down, taking a glass of water from my bedside and drinking it in a gulp, soothing my parched throat. My eyes were watery and I wiped them, looking out at the rain as I tried to calm down and stop clutching my chest in agony.

I felt the pain, the feeling of that metallic coin like thing tear through my chest like I was naught more than butter and just thinking about it made me feel so sorry for the little fillies and indeed all Vitalis's family that had met that terrible death.

Suddenly there was a knock at my door and I looked up, composing myself and cleared my throat before asking "Who is it?" though my voice cracked partway through. "It's me" the voice of the Supreme Commander sounded from behind my door and I cursed, not sure if I could deal with him right now.

I was going to tell him to come back later and that I was feeling a little under the weather when he explained from the other side of the door "I just wanted to let you know the Anti, Melody and I are dealing with the navy problem and in hopefully everything is going to be ok. Also your sister has said some words; she is cool with you keeping your guard and thinks some independence is a good idea for you."

I looked down and shook with fury at myself and at Dark Horizon. This was a pony who had killed children, maybe not intentionally and hid behind the excuse "For the people" and I was letting him become friendly with me; help me out with my problems when his had caused as he said the deaths of thousands. Now I needed to know it all, no matter what he said or else this could not continue.

"Come in" I beckoned and sat down on my bed. He entered as formally as ever though with a smile on his face, expecting maybe a delightful talk where he would discuss his glory days and I mine but now with my sullen face and pained expression he could see that this was serious.

"What is wrong?" he asked flatly and I sighed, shaking and explained bluntly "I had a talk with King Vitalis about you in my sleep." If anything he was not expecting that and his eyes widened in shock and he stuttered "Wh-what do y-you mean?"

He showed me things Dark Horizon, showed me Canterlot burning, ponies falling to their deaths from great wounds inflicted by wooden fire sticks and explained how you are pure evil, then he showed me his family and what they felt when you sentence them to die in front of crowds of ponies!"

I didn't realize how shaky I was getting and Dark Horizon although upright had tuned a very light shade of red. "H-H-How could you have? I don't understand?" he bumbled and I took my momentum and carried on with "You have said countless times you never cared about your people and played god, you killed many for the betterment of others and now I've seen proof, originally I thought you were dramatizing mostly and I forgave you but now I don't know what to think so tell me… are you a good pony?"

He stopped, taking in full what I had said to him and receiving it as if I'd thrown another punch at him, even staggering back from my words a few steps as his mind raced with visible uncertainty. He remained so like this for a few minutes and all I could feel was anger rising within me, for the ponies he'd killed, the ponies I'd seen him kill and then his answer came.

"I was the pony that was needed at the time. I am the pony who led the face of the greatest uprising against a monarch in my Universe ever. I was a pony so young and scared and unready to take on the responsibilities of having so many ponies under my command that I made mistakes, they haunt me as you have witnessed and keep me in a never-ending hell that is my punishment. Can I say I am a good pony? No I am not of course is all I can say. These decisions were mine, many evil but most necessary to make and I made them and ensured the revolution would continue no matter the cost. To see what your sister or you would do in such a situation would be interesting, but for me I had no choice so judge me all you want but no I regret it all… If I could go back and stop myself I would… Ponies depend on me now though and I on them so there is no going back. You came back, you have your chance, a chance that is impossible for me to have."

He didn't storm out of the room or run crying but instead left with such a cold calmness it was almost like he were a dead pony walking, which I supposed he was. He should have died millennia ago yet he was still here, forced to live with what he'd done forever.

I calmed down but didn't dare follow him, not sure about what to do or say if I did. I felt such sorrow for him but then there were the thousands he'd killed and the faces of those little fillies and the colts as they were sent to the slaughter under his direct orders.

I was confused and I didn't like it. He helped me, talked with me, laughed with me and joked with me and despite our differences we got on well but he always had said that he was a monster and now I understood why I didn't know whether to forgive him or condemn him.

One thing for sure was I couldn't kill him no matter what he'd done. Besides not being the Equestrian way he didn't deserve such a thing but instead something else, some kind of compassion maybe? I was terrible at consoling and what could I do that had not been done by him or another over the last five hundred years?

I cursed and realized I had to raise the moon, the sun wasn't in view but that didn't mean it wasn't there. I got to it, lighting my horn up quickly as the rain hammered away harder at my window. "I would ask my sister but I think that she wouldn't take knowledge like this very well concerning the Supreme Commander.

I was astonished looking out my window however to see that he was right outside in the grounds below the front of the castle, mane and uniform soaked through with rain. "What is he doing?" I thought as he passed along the faster flowing stream and looked into its murky waters.

Nopony was around but it seemed that even if there would have been he wouldn't have cared. Forgetting getting ready I summoned my magic and in a flash of blue I was down beside him, the rain now soaking me through in seconds and causing my mane to go from ethereal to regular, light blue that clung to my neck like a mop.

"What in Equestria are you doing out here in the rain? Even immortals catch colds!" I yelled over the pouring rain and he looked back, his eyes full of pain. "I want to make a difference Princess, I never did at first but power corrupts and it corrupted me badly. I have killed so many, can't go back from it and can't go forwards either. I want it all to go away forever."

He almost pleaded to me as his face streaked with water, not all of it from the rain. I was about to offer some kind of reassuring gesture but he carried on in his concernment of himself, saying "I am The Red Stallion, bathed in the blood of many, killed many some with my hooves and others with a pen and I ask you now Princess what do you do with a pony like me?"

He turned and my face was directly up against his, I could feel his breath on my muzzle and suddenly my voice hitched in my throat as I stared into those pained eyes. "We forgive them, and help them come to terms with what they've done and help them realise they've done wrong and that tomorrow is going to be a brighter day" I said quietly but loud enough for him to hear.

Grabbing him I lit my horn up and suddenly we were back in my room, out of the rain and the entire terrible scene. He was a little disorientated but quickly regained composure and coughed to get his voice working.

"You are wiser and more forgiving than me Princess Luna. I have to thank you for that but now I think I need some alone time, I feel the need to reflect on my own thoughts and come to terms with my new feelings towards the present and the past and what they will create in my future."

He bowed, lower than usually and shook his mane slightly, stepping out of my door and then making his way down the hallway to his room where he would reflect as he said. I stayed put, thrilled, terrified and filled with sorrow as to the situation.

"I died" I thought and the children alongside me had died as well. "Can I ever forgive him?" I thought but then the real question was could he ever forgive himself when his dreams were only about them.

One thing that I didn't expect was to be thinking about the feeling of his breath against mine. It was ragged, not laboured but it seemed that he was a pony with a ragged past that gave him permission for ragged breath.

"Breath Luna? Honestly sometimes you pick up the most stupid little details" I told myself with a roll of my eyes. I sighed and looked at the rain and then my soaking mane. "Well it's going to take me an hour to get ready now" I thought as squeezed my mane of rainwater like a sponge and prepared to get into the night shift properly and put distressing matters out of my mind.

**Approaching the 60, 000 mark. I hope I make it this time because I usually stop writing stories after 60k.**


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